Tillers of school lands in Karnataka, who have been demanding their ownership under the Land Reforms Act, have asked the state government and President Pranab Mukherjee either to allocate such land or else permit "mercy death".
They have faxed an appeal to the President after a meeting at Shimoga on Friday explaining the "agony" faced by them for the last 60 years.
Several philanthropists donated nearly 10,000 acres as per former Chief Minister late Kengal Hanumanthiah's appeal towards development of school education in 1954. These lands have been tilled on contract terms by 3000 tillers since then.
After the adoption of Land Reforms Act which gave ownership to tillers, these "Bhoodan" tillers are demanding similar benefit, agitating for the ownership for the last six decades. The forum of tillers has warned that they will intensify their long agitation, if their demand was not met.
