A Mangaluru land rights protest by members of the Koraga community on Monday demanded the immediate allocation of residential plots and distribution of title deeds to 33 families from Vamanjoor. The protesters marched from Vamanjoor to the district administrative complex at Padil, alleging that the process has remained pending for years despite repeated representations to authorities.
Led by the Karnataka Adivasi Rights Coordination Committee, the protesters travelled through Kudupu, Kulasekhar, Bikarnakatte, Nanthoor, Pumpwell and Naguri before reaching the Prajasaudha complex. They carried traditional drums during the march and held the protest in a semi-nude form to draw attention to their demand for housing land and legal recognition of their claims.
The families are from the Mangalajyothi area of Vamanjoor. According to the report, social reformer Kudmul Ranga Rao’s disciple Venkoji Rao had donated eight acres before Independence for providing residential sites to members of the Koraga community. The protesters said that, despite the community’s continued efforts, the intended beneficiaries were still awaiting formal handover of the sites and title documents.
The Mangaluru City Corporation had prepared title deeds for the distribution of land to 33 Koraga families about a year ago, the report said. The protesters are now demanding that the documents be distributed without further delay. They also alleged that the city corporation and district administration had failed to act on the matter despite repeated appeals.
Kariya K., convener of the Vamanjoor unit of the Karnataka Adivasi Rights Coordination Committee, said the land-allocation process in the Mangalajyothi area had been pending since 2018. He said the committee had organised repeated protests since 2022 and submitted representations to various departments and the Chief Minister’s Office.
Kariya alleged that officials of the city corporation had delayed boundary identification, site allocation and the transfer of title deeds. He questioned why the process had been held up for years without a suitable explanation. The report did not include a response from the Mangaluru City Corporation or the Dakshina Kannada district administration to the allegations.
Muneer Katipalla, secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) district unit, said the Koraga community continued to face difficulties and alleged that government meetings had produced assurances without firm decisions on their grievances. Other representatives of civil society and local organisations also participated in the protest.
The immediate demand before the city corporation and district administration is the completion of boundary identification, allotment of the residential sites and formal distribution of the title deeds to the 33 families. The authorities’ response and the timeline for completing these steps remain awaited.
