Date:19/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/19/stories/2008081957640300.htm

Karnataka - Mysore

Mahouts drop boycott plan

Shankar Bennur

Honorarium hiked from Rs. 1,000
to Rs. 3,000
Sangha members pour out their woes to Minister

MYSORE: Mahouts and “kavadis” have dropped their plan to boycott Dasara festivities following the Government’s assurance that their demands would be considered in a phased manner.

They had threatened not to allow the elephants to move out of the jungle camps unless they get a favourable response to their demands. Bu they agreed on Monday to bring the first batch of six elephants from Veerannahosahalli forests in Nagarahole National Park in a symbolic “gajapayana” following the assurance made by Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and district in-charge Shobha Karandlaje.

Grievances

Members of the Adivasi Moola Hakkugala Sangha, which is spearheading the cause of 210 mahouts and “kavadis” working in the Forest Department, met the Minister during the launch of the “gajapayana,” and poured out their grievances.

The Government has increased the honorarium given to them for participating in the festivities from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 3,000.

Demands

The Minister told the delegation that it was difficult for the Government to consider all their demands such as regularisation of services, at once. By hiking the honorarium, the Government had showed that it was committed to meeting their demands, she said.

The sangha presented the Minister a book titled “Global Search for Rural Development” to remind her of the promises made to the mahouts.

Memorandum

The sangha, in its memorandum, said that the mahouts and the “kavadis” had been working in the Forest Department for several years and their economic condition had gone from bad to worse. No education facilities were available for their children after they completed studies in the jungle schools. Healthcare facilities were also poor, it said.

Discussion

Prabhu of the sangha told The Hindu that the Minister had requested that the issue of mahouts’ be discussed in the next Cabinet meeting and a formal commitment be made with regard to the demands.

“We expect that a resolution will be passed on the issue in the Dasara committee meeting,” he added.