Nomadic people throng Minister Somashekhar at Rajyotsava event in Mysuru for title deeds
Mysuru: Members of the nomadic communities flocked around Cooperation and District In-charge Minister S T Somashekhar during the Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations here on Tuesday, demanding title deeds for houses and shouting slogans.
The 67th Kannada Rajyotsava program was organized by the district administration at outside the Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple near the Mysore Palace.
The minister and the district authorities were taken aback as the nomadic community members flocked around the minister. Somashekhar, who hoisted the state flag and honoured the Kannada activists on the occasion, was moving to flag off the vehicle for the Mother India chariot (Bharatambe Ratha), said sources.
Suddenly, women, children and youngsters of the nomadic communities, who were standing among the audience for the Rajyotsava program, now reportedly came forth, led by Dalita Sangharsha Samiti district coordinator Choranahalli Shivanna. The entire group moved ahead to meet Somashekhar, but the minister was immediately surrounded by policemen in protection.
It is learned that the minister, troubled by the unexpected change in situation, departed from the venue for the Rajyotsava program.
Shivanna, addressing the gathering, clarified, “Being Kannadigas, we do not wish to disrupt the Rajyotsava program. We staged a protest the last 50 days continually outside the deputy commissioner’s office demanding title deeds for houses. District In-charge Minister S T Somashekhar completely sidelined our request and even ignored us through the entire period of protest. We wished to stage a black flag protest during the Dasara season, but the deputy commissioner and the police assured us that the issue would be resolved. It is already a month since the end of the festivities, but our problem remains unresolved. Which is why, we have approached Minister Somashekhar on this occasion.”
He reportedly warned, “The district administration would be responsible for any sort of mishap that might occur if our problem is not solved.”
The policemen took the protesters into custody. The District Armed Reserved Force carried away more than 50 such protesters in three vehicles to the grounds. Sources said that women and children too were thrust into the police vehicles commonly with men.
Bhagyamma, Kirangur Swamy, Shivaraju Arasinakere, Mahadeva, Anita, Rangaswamy and Mahesh were the other leaders in the protest on Tuesday.
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Assam to lift all cases against Koch Rajbongshis in Foreigners' Tribunals: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
Guwahati, Apr 4 (PTI): The Assam cabinet has decided to lift all cases pending against people from the Koch Rajbongshi community in the Foreigners' Tribunals, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday.
They will also no longer carry the tag of 'D' or doubtful voters, he said.
''There are 28,000 cases pending in different Foreigners' Tribunals in the state against people of the community. The cabinet has taken a historic decision of lifting the cases with immediate effect,'' Sarma said at a press conference here after the cabinet meeting.
The government believes that the Koch Rajbongshis are an indigenous community of the state and they are an inextricable part of ''our social and cultural fabric'', he asserted.
The people of this community are poor and have suffered a lot over the years, he said.
''They will no longer carry the tag of foreigners or ‘D’ voters,'' the CM said.
Foreigners Tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies, particularly in Assam, established to determine if a person residing in India is a "foreigner" as defined by the Foreigners Act of 1946, based on the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order of 1964.
These tribunals are designed to address matters related to citizenship and the presence of “foreigners” in India, specifically focusing on cases where someone is suspected of being an illegal immigrant.
There are 100 Foreigners’ Tribunals across Assam.
The Koch Rajbongshis have a sizeable presence in Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya, and parts of Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan, and they demand Scheduled Tribe status.
