An aged person, who was a native of Hole Kudige in Mudigere taluk, died on Friday night and his body was brought to his place on a coracle to cross river Bhadra that cuts the village’s link to the outer world.
T.A. Subbaraya, 70, who was suffering from renal failure, died at a hospital in Chikkamagaluru. His family members carried his body to his village on Saturday for the final rites.
The village is located amidst forest areas and coffee estates. For decades the Malekudiya families, a tribal community staying at Hole Kudige village, have been demanding a road to avoid crossing the river. Schoolchildren have to cross the river propelling coracle, risking their lives during the rainy season. And, whenever the residents suffer health issues, they find it difficult to reach to hospitals.
The Hindu had reported about the problems of the residents in January 2018 and again in May 2019, when Subbaraya’s elder brother T.A. Rudraiah died without realising his dream of having a road to his village. “This is the ninth death in recent years we have been witnessing. Whenever someone falls sick or is hospitalised, we face this problem,” Suresh Kumar, a member of the family, told this correspondent on Saturday.
Four brothers had been living in the village for decades. Due to lack of road connectivity, a couple of them have moved to other places. Chandrashekhar, also a member of the family, said the villagers had been demanding a road that connects their village to Hirebailu-Kalasa Road. “If the district administration decides to resolve our problem, it is not a big issue. The owner of a private estate has refused to part with a portion of its land for the road. It is sorrowful that the Government has not been able to get the land required for the road in so many years,” he said.
The residents have submitted appeals to elected representatives repeatedly.
