These tribals always live in a sort of lockdown in Mudigere

With monsoon setting in Malnad region and River Bhadra flowing in spate, a small slip would mean a ‘watery grave’ for tribal families residing at Amthi Holekudige in Mudigere taluk.

For years, the members of four Malekudiya families have been using bamboo ‘Theppa’ (Coracle) to cross River Bhadra and reach the nearest village or school in Bagundi. Adding to their woes, one of the two coracles is not usable as it is damaged and has a hole.

“The only road connecting the mainland was encroached and our demand of evicting the encroachers of road (survey number 23, Hadivoni gram panchayat and survey number 163, Kuve gram panchayat) has had little impact ,” said Chandrashekar T R, a second generation farmer.

Thirty two years ago, Chandrashekar and his brother Satish were granted three acres of land by the government under Forest Rights Act (FRA). “Prior to that we worked as labourers, for eight years, in the adjacent Avanthi Estate, owned by former chairperson of Karnataka State Women’s Commission Philomena Peres,” he said.

Tribals accused Philomena of treating them like bonded labourers by erecting a gate and restricting their movement on another road linking to the mainland. “False cases were filed against the tribals, but eventually Banakal police had filed ‘B’ reports,” Chandrashekar added.

The tribals had submitted memoranda to Chikkamagaluru deputy commissioner, social welfare department and Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE) on the denial of road facility and how it was causing severe hardships, including preventing them from accessing medical care.

“We cannot even sell our farm produce,” said Satish in a choked voice. Philomena when contacted said she had given the Tribals a road. But they began stealing her crop and recollected that her son had even caught them red-handed, she added. “I will not give an inch of my land for the road,” vowed the octogenarian, who is home quarantined.

Kuve GP Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) Naveen Kumar M told DH that of the four-kilometer road linking the mainland to the houses of Malekudiyas, only a kilometer-long road passes through Philomena’s estate. The remaining 3 km is also out of bounds, as the forest department had filed a case accusing Philomena of encroaching the forest land in High Court.

DFO (Koppa) Mohan said they too had failed in convincing Philomena on allowing the poor tribals to use the road. As hopes of a road get dim, Kuve GP’s proposal to build a hanging bridge at a cost of Rs 50 lakh also fails to lift the morale of the tribals.