The people in power violate rules to favour the influential, but not the poor, alleged writer and environmentalist Kalkuli Vittal Heggade. He was speaking at the first Malnad convention - Malenadu Sammelana - organized by Karnataka Janashakti in Sringeri on Sunday.
Recently, the Chikkamagaluru administration constructed a helipad as many dignitaries were scheduled to attend a religious event at Hariharapura in Koppa taluk. Despite objections from the Forest Department, the administration constructed the helipad. “It is fine, the helipad was necessary for the influential. Why don’t you follow the same when it comes to allotting sites for the poor or the land for the landless?” he questioned.
Taking a dig at Revenue Minister R. Ashok’s recent announcement to help rich coffee planters, who have encroached upon a large extent of land, Mr. Heggade said the Minister was once again in favour of helping the rich, not the poor. For decades, thousands of people had been waiting for the land to build homes or cultivate it. Their applications had been pending, citing various objections. “How can the government allow the planters to get the land they encroached over the years? The Minister addresses a convention of rich planters and makes assurances, but in the case of poor, nobody cares,” he said.
Further, he said the people of Malnad had been living with the forests for ages. They need not learn the importance of conserving forests from others. The people had been facing problems because of the initiatives taken up in the guise of conserving endangered species. “The globe is facing the threat of global warming, because of over-dependence on fossil fuels. But, the forest dwellers are evacuated from their habitats in the name of conserving forests. This has to be stopped,” he said.
Shivasundar, writer and activist, said the government had been in favour of corporate companies, ignoring the plight of poor people. While the tax on common people had been increasing, the corporate tax had come down. The government had been selling public sector units to private companies. “We have to fight against these by strengthening democracy,” he said.
Writer and former Minister B.T. Lalita Naik, Gowri, State honorary president of Janashakti, K.L. Ashok, State secretary of Janashakti and others were present. Sasikant Senthil, former IAS officer, delivered his taluk, online from Delhi.
