Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Jun 25: The United Nations Organization (UNO) has given a shocking report that the population of the Koraga community, indigenous people of undivided Dakshina Kannada district is reducing considerably. In the past 10 years the community has shrunk by a whopping 25%.

The population of the Koraga community was more than 50,000 in Karnataka before the country attained independence. They were spread in the districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Uttara Kannada and Kasargod districts.

According to the census of 1991, there were 22,000 Koragas in the state. However, their population steadily declined in the following years. Koragas, who were 18,000 in 2001 went down to 6,358 in 2011 and reached 4,400 in 2021 according to a survey report of the UNO. Out of the 51 tribal communities that exist in Karnataka, the Koraga community is depleting at a very fast rate.

Anaemia, shortage of nutrition and death due to endemic diseases are said to be the main reasons for the depletion of the Koraga community. For the past one month, ITDP has suddenly stopped payment of private medical expenses. The Ayushman card is valid only for certain serious illnesses. The medical expenses given to the Koraga community should be continued if the community has to survive from extinction.

The state government has taken serious note of the report of UNO and has asked two private hospitals of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi to conduct a check of the community and give a report. Already, blood samples of 40 elderly people of the community are being tested and a report will be out soon according to Sundara Koraga, president of Koraga community.

Sundara Koraga says that if the government does not take immediate action on the considerable reduction in population of the Koraga community, the community will surely become extinct very soon.