Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (JS)

Mangaluru, Jul 2: Backed by district BJP, a farmer on Thursday July 2 alleged that he and others farmers and a 70-year-old lady were assaulted by police and officials at Arasinamakki in Beltangady taluk over an issue related to land. The police had earlier filed a case alleging that the farmer and his family had assaulted them.

Addressing a press meet at the party office, district BJP president Pratap Simha Nayak said that farmer Keshava Rao and others were assaulted by the officials due to political rivalry. "On the one hand, monsoon session is going in Belagavi where discussions are being held on how to save farmers from suicide, and on the other hand, in Arasinamakki in Beltangady taluk, due to political rivalry, the police and the revenue department are assaulting farmers. Even a 70-year-old lady has been assaulted and the farmers arrested," he alleged.

Keshava Rao then took over and elaborated the issue. "In 1958, my father Krishna Rao was farming on 5.6 acres of leased land at Hatyadka, with survey number 27/1. In 1974, he filed an application as per the Land Act, and in 1981, he was given ownership of the land. We have been growing areca, coconut, paddy and other crops on this land.

"There is an adjacent kumki land where we have been growing rubber and areca and crops. In 1992, my mother Lakshmi and I filled form 50 and applied to the government urging it to sanction the land in our names under akrama-sakrama rules. In 1998 also a similar appeal was made to the akrama-sakrama committee by us. However, the then tahsildar raised objections regarding land boundary, after which an appeal was submitted to the assistant commissioner questioning the same. The appeal is pending in the assistant commissioner's court," he said.

"In 1999-2000 the tahsildar decided to build a crematorium on our land for which we had submitted akrama-sakrama application, but we were not informed about it. Even mutation of the land was done in 2001. Later in 2007, without issuing any notice as required by law, the officials came to survey the land and mark the boundary. It was only then that we came to know that there were plans to build a crematorium there. We immediately raised objections with the tahsildar through an appeal. Several times we asked for the file related to the land, but in vain. We then filed an RTI query with the assistant commissioner and came to know that the file had gone to the high court in connection to some case. We objected every time the officials came to survey the land and even suggested that the crematorium could be built on the empty government land of over 50 acres lying on the opposite side of the road, but to no avail," Keshava explained.

"I have raised voice against the injustice and irregularities in Arasinamakki gram panchayat during meetings. Under the 13th Finance Commission, funds were allotted to the gram panchayat to build basic infrastructure but instead the funds were used to build a commercial complex. I even complained to the Lokayukta about all this. Out of political rivalry, the gram panchayat administration is out to finish me and thus is trying to build crematorium on our land. I have even appealed to the DC for assistance," he said.

Narrating the latest incident of alleged assault, he said, "On June 29 at 11 am, the officials without any prior notice brought a JCB and started earmarking the land boundary. When we objected, the police arrested my brothers and me, and also assaulted our mother Lakshmi and us. The police beat us up very badly. Panchayat development officer Chandrashekar, secretary Venkappa Gowda, and former president and present member Jagannath Gowda Adkari too assaulted us and said we talk too much in meetings. A complaint has been filed in the court against the police for this atrocity.

"Cases have been filed against us on charges of interfering with police duty, assault and other non-bailable charges. The court however granted us bail," he added.

"Being a farmer I have taken lacs of rupees as loan to grow crops. Don't I have the right to protect my land? There is an SC/ST colony and houses of different communities nearby - why do they want to build a crematorium on kumki land when there is an empty piece of government land on the opposite side? Why do they want to acquire my land?" Keshava questioned.

"The government will sanction the land under akrama-sakrama, but already 1.4 acres has been identified in the kumki land for crematorium and we fear that our rubber plantation and coconut trees that have been there for over 15 years will be snatched from us. We are five brothers and a sister but none of us has government job and agriculture is our main source of income. If we divide our land (of 5.6 acres) each one of us will get only 93 cents. If we lose this land we have nothing to fall back on. Through the media, we request the DC to intervene in the issue and save our land," Keshava appealed.

"As per law they have to ask owner's permission before acquiring land, but they have not done so. This is all due to political pressure. The main person behind this is former gram panchayat president Jagannath Adkari. It was under the instructions of ASI Sanjeeva Rai of Uppinangady that we were beaten up in the police station," he alleged.

He also said that an appeal would be submitted to the superintendent of police too.