Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network-Mangalore (NM)
Mangalore, May 20: Prakash Karat, general secretary of communist party of India (marxist), prior to the scheduled programme at NGO Hall with the tribal community, visited the district jail to meet Vittala Malekudiya and his father Linganna who are alleged to have naxal links, here on Sunday, May 20.
Addressing the media, Prakash Karat said that Vittala is purely innocent. He is tagged unnecessarily with naxals because he fought for the basic rights of the tribal community and questioned the authorities when the tribals were asked to migrate from the forest area.
When the government realized Vittala as a big obstacle, they tagged him of having alleged links with naxals, Karat opined.
The general secretary Karat was glad that Puttur fast track court ordered the superintendent of police to make arrangement for Vittala to write his second semester exams from May 21 to 25. Prakash Karat informed that On May 28, the leaders of CPM and other wings would meet chief minster demanding the immediate release of Vittala and his father. "If this does not work, we will have to take an intense protest across the state", warned Karat.
After the visit, Prakash Karat attended the interaction session organized by the tribal community here in NGO Hall at 11 am today.
During the session, he raised the point of injustice to the community citing the example of student Vittala Malekudiya and Linganna.
On the pretext of development, establishing wildlife centuries and national park, the adivasis are forcefully asked to migrate without even proper compensation in terms of rehabilitation and alternative livelihood. The deforestation and destruction of wildlife is caused not by the adivasis (indigenous) but the bureaucrats, he said.
"The order of priority must be changed, the plight of the tribal community and the family of Malekudiya should be taken into consideration”, he urged. The community predominantly lives in forest areas. They are now made to shift precisely because of the existence quality of land, iron ore, bauxite deposits, and mineral wealth in their land, he opined.
He mentioned that according to the 5th schedule of the constitution, there is a complete right given to the adivasis about the fundamental freedom to own their land. One cannot simply undertake any activity at the cost of this community, he said. Such law should also be severely practiced in Karnataka as it is followed in the states like Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.
"With the help of GK Govind Rao and other leaders, a defense committee is formed to seek justice", Munner Katipall said during his key note address.
Yashvanth Murali and Muneer Katipalla among others were present for the session.