Two Land Cases

Friends We have just come back from Nepal after completing a very successful International Conference on Electoral Reforms towards the Proportionate Electoral System. We thought we would give you news of the exciting news of the Conference. But even as we were preparing to return from Kathmandu we got some very very exciting news and therefore, first things come first. We shall give you the exciting news of Nepal Conference a littler later. This exciting, or exhilarating news is about regaining of 7 and a quarter of acre of land by our Dalit people after many decades of struggles. It is more exhilarating because the land regained is full of coconut trees. Let us proceed one by one. Case One This is Mallenahalli in Honnavalli Hobli of Tiptur Taluk. The Beneficiaries of the struggle are Javaraiah, Thimmamma and Jayamma. In the year 1954 their grandfather was given 3 acres of land by the government. But Nanje Gowda of the dominant caste appropriated the land by a lease deed from the uncle of the three against law by executing a lease deed which was equivalent to a sales deed. When the three grand-children came to know of the treachery of Nanje Gowda they went to the Assistant Commissioner’s Court asking for the land back. In 1993 the AC court passed a judgement that the land should be returned to the Dalits as per law. But the caste people are above law. Nanje Gowda went on appeal to the Deputy Commissioner’s court. The Deputy Commissioner was also a Gowda. (Incidentally REDS had to take serious steps to send this Deputy Commissioner out of the District in two days and succeeded in this effort) This DC asked the AC courts to re-consider its decision and give the land to Nanje Gowda. In the meantime the AC had been transferred and another one had taken office. The new AC (an honest Muslim Officer) passed orders to give the land to the Dalits. Against this new order of the AC, Nanje Gowda went once again on appeal to the DC court. Since REDS transferred the District Collector there was a new DC who was also casteist by all standards. He dragged on the case. In the meantime Nanje Gowda had fully grown coconut plants in the land. The case was taken up by the lawyers of REDS. They found a judgement of the Supreme Court that decided in a similar case in the neighbouring District that the land should be returned to the original owner to whom government had given the land. This case was cited by the lawyers of REDS in support of their argument. Though the present DC is a dominant caste and corrupt fellow he could not do anything against the order of the Supreme Court and very reluctantly ordered that the land be returned to the Dalits. Outside the court he is fuming and frothing against REDS for having put him under this pressure. But we care a hoot. For us the life of our people is more important than the survival of REDS. Many REDS may come and go bur our people should live with dignity and rights.

The second case is for another four and a quarter of land in the same taluk. But it is in a different Hobli of Kibbanahalli. Chikkanna, a Dalit got the land from the government in the year 1952, exactly on the day Raj was born. Shankaralingamma, a dominant caste Lingayat got the land once again by treacherous means. Laxmaiah, the son went to court after listening to the advise of some relatives. In the year 1996 the AC passed orders re-granting the land to Laxmaiah, the son of Chikkanna. As expected Shankaralingamma went to the DC court in appeal. The same DC who was transferred by REDS ordered that the land should be given to the actual possessor, the dominant caste Shankaralingamma. In 2003 Laxmaiah went once again to the High Court, which sent the case back to the DC to re-examine the case. This order of the High Court was brought to the Booshakthi Kendra by Laxmaiah as by then a Dalit Panchayat was formed in his village. The case was handed over to the lawyer of the Organization. On the day the case came up for final hearing REDS saw to it that the opposition lawyer was absent in the court. (Don’t ask us how this was done). There were also about forty other lawyers taking up the case of other Dalits. The DC could not do anything. He passed orders that the land be given back to the Dalits. But as usual all corrupt officers have a case against REDS and we are very proud of that. As long as our people regain their land we dance in the streets. Do you like to join us in the dance of celebration? Welcome to Tumkur

After completing our International Conference in Nepal, Raj went to Mumbai University to have an interaction with about 44 Professors and some students on his award winning book Dyche. It was stupendous and he has been invited once again to the University to speak on the Campaign for Proportionate Electoral System in India. Before going to the airport Raj visited the Chaitra Bhoomi where Babasaheb Ambedkar is buried, got his blessings to carry forward the Dalit Mission.