Mysore: Majority of tribals in Karnataka are yet to see the light of the day,even after United Nation declaring the decade as Tribal Decade with an intention to provide basic facilities and rights to aborigines across the world. August 9 is the 8th anniversary of the UN declaration.
Sources in the government say that, 80% percent of 70,000 tribals dwelling in forests of the state neither have got their rights over the lands where they/ their ancestors lived for centuries, nor do they have a house. So far, only 10,000 have got thatched-roof houses, but most of the houses are on the verge of collapse.
According to a survey, many tribals suffer from contagious diseases like tuberculosis,they do not have drinking water supply and healthcare facilities. Also, many haadis do not have power supply. Of the 5,000 tribal families in Mysore and Kodagu districts, over 2,000 are working as labourers in coffee estates. Those who were evicted from forests are yet benefit from rehabilitation package announced by the government.
The tribals hope that the Government would provide land, hospital, school and other basic facilities to them.