News and pics: Pareekshith Shet

Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (EP)

Udupi, March 14: Several programmes are being held with the intention of bringing backward class communities to the mainstream. Many of them remain restricted to publicity and the organizers stumble on them. One such programme held by Udupi Alevoor Panchayat titled ‘Panchayat Nade Koraga Samudayadedege’ (Panchayat’s walk towards Koraga community) became a joke.

Minister of social affairs, Anjaneya had stayed in the house of Koraga family in Byndoor recently. It was appreciated everywhere. Udupi Alevooru panchayat has tried similar experiment and stumbled on it.

There are 42 houses of Koraga community in Alevooru Siddarthanagara. They are identified as the most downtrodden in the society. A special programme to meet them was held in Duglipadavu here. There was publicity that Deputy Commissioner will eat dinner with the community. However, Shamianas were erected in the spacious ground and programme included all the gathered.

The deputy commissioner later went to the house belonging to Koraga community. Those who ate with him were not Koragas but BJP leaders who came to the programme. Koraga community members only served meals. The Deputy Commissioner was told that the food was prepared by Koragas while it was in fact prepared by local caterers. 

On the whole, the programme deviated from its original intention and resulted in high drama. There was nothing other than it was served by Koragas. The talk of coexistence was confined only to speech. It proved that the programme was held only for publicity purposes.