BHADRAVATHI, Oct 19: The Dalit Sangarsha Samiti will walk to the deputy commissioner's office in Shimoga from Mangote village in Bhadravathi taluk, situated 30 km away from Shimoga city on October 22. The jatha has been organised to demand title deeds to Dalit farmers who have been cultivating bagar hukum land for several years in Mangote village.In a press statement, district convenor Gurumurthy said that the Dalits of the village had been socially ostracised by upper caste villagers for entering the Mari Temple.

However repeated pleas to the district in charge minister and to local legislators had not yielded any result. To protest against this, the DSS had organised the jatha, he said.He pointed out that even after earmarking space for the infrastructure facilities like hospital, school, bus stand etc in the village, around 17 acres and 20 guntas of land remained free. This land should be distributed among the 25 to 30 Dalit families living here. Due to the social ostracisation, Dalits could not even find work in the village and were also barred from going to hotels and shops, the statement said.