Telangana: Real estate owners prevent Dalit family from performing last rites over land dispute
The dispute is over a portion of land in Bardagudem village, which was allegedly donated by Kalvakuntla Madhava Rao to the Dalit community about 80 years ago for use as a cremation ground.
Published on: 27 Sep 2024, 1:36 pm
Adilabad: A Dalit family in Mandmari mandal of Manchirial district was allegedly prevented from performing the last rites of one of their relatives by a group of realtors over a land dispute. The incident, which took place on Tuesday, came to light on Thursday, triggering outrage among the local community.
The dispute is over a portion of land in Bardagudem village, which was allegedly donated by Kalvakuntla Madhava Rao to the Dalit community about 80 years ago for use as a cremation ground.
However, realtors N Upendra Goud and Venkatesh Goud, along with their associates, claimed ownership of the land, preventing Durgam Shankar and his son Srinivas from performing the last rites of their family member.
Upon learning about the situation, the tehsildar and circle inspector of Mandmari rushed to the spot, intervened and ensured that the cremation was carried out without any disruption.
“Real estate agents are destroying our ancestral land”: Dalits speak out
Members of the Dalit community have accused a real estate agent belonging to the Backward Classes (BC) of illegally encroaching upon the land where their ancestors were cremated. They allege that the land is being dug up to build residential plots, which is extremely humiliating for them.
Speaking to the media , local Dalits stressed that the area falls under the jurisdiction of the agency area, where land ownership is strictly regulated by the Land Transfer Regulation Act 1, 1970 (LTR 1/70).
Under this law, non-tribals cannot occupy land in agency areas. The community has urged the authorities to take immediate action to restore their rights over the cremation ground and maintain the legal protection provided by LTR 1/70.
The incident has rekindled concerns about land disputes among tribal and Dalit communities, raising questions about land ownership rights and enforcement in agency areas.
