Madikeri: In Kumbur village of Somwarpet taluk, 194 families have completed 100 days of their Satyagraha demanding that the landless be given plots on govt land. The protest by working families completed 100 days on Monday, and hundreds of landless people have continued their Satyagraha under tarpaulins inspite of rainSince May 2, hundreds of landless people, who launched a sudden protest under the leadership of Monnappa, president of Karnataka State Bahujan Workers’ Organization, staged a sit-in demanding that they be given plots on govt land to build houses. “In Garagandur and Kumbur village of the taluk, two acres out of 29 acres were earlier reserved for Navagrama Nirmana. But recently that land was also encroached upon,” they claimed.The protesters continued the sit-in demanding that land should be allotted for landless people. Immediately after the protest, taluk tahsildar KK Krishnamurthy, taluk executive officer Paramesh Kumar and range forest officer Shailendra Kumar went to the spot, listened to the protesters’ pleas and assured them of appropriate action. The landless people, who did not agree to this, are continuing the sit-in until they get positive assurance with action.The officials and people’s representatives, who had thought that the sit-in would end in a few days, were disappointed.Meanwhile, when MLAs and officials visited the spot and tried to convince the protesters, they said they would continue protesting until land is allotted.Monnappa said, “A land survey should be conducted on the land previously identified as Navagrama. The MLAs and the DC should take responsibility; until then, our struggle will continue. “The DC had already promised to provide land. The dharna will continue until that is fulfilled,” he stated.
