A horrifying incident of violence has once again exposed the systemic oppression faced by the Yerava community, a Scheduled Tribe in Karnataka. On December 27, 2024, 28-year-old Paniyeravara Ponnanna, a plantation worker belonging to the Yerava community, was shot dead by Porukonda Chinnappa, a member of the dominant Kodava community, in Chembebellur village of Virajpet taluk. The gruesome killing, over the alleged plucking of a jackfruit, has sent shockwaves through the district and raised urgent demands for justice.
Ponnanna and his wife, Geetha, like thousands of others from the Yerava community, worked as labourers on coffee plantations and lived in “line houses” provided by plantation owners. Ponanna and Geetha, after work decided to pluck jackfruit for dinner that night. Ponnanna was atop the jackfruit tree, when Porukonda Chinnappa, belonging to the Kodava community and the uncle of Porukonda Bansi Poonaccha, approached them with his double barrel shotgun and dog and hurled casteist abuses at Ponnanna, saying “Hey Ponnu, you Yerava bastard, you come to my farm and pluck jackruits; I am going to kill you” and shot him.
Ponnanna fell from a height of 20 feet, screaming in pain. His wife, Geetha, pleaded for help, but Chinnappa walked away callously, leaving Ponnanna to die. Geetha called the plantation owner, who rushed Ponnanna to a hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries.
Yeravas are a vulnerable community which, by virtue of generations of serfdom suffers from telling economic and social backwardness today. As such it is the duty of the State to ensure their protection and enjoyment of rights. It is imperative that the State Government immediately formulates a comprehensive development plan to free the Yerava community from this life bereft of rights and entitlements.
CPI(ML) state committee members and Adivasi Sangharsh Morcha leaders met Kodagu District Commissioner Sri. Venkataraju, District Social Welfare Officer Sri. Shekhar, and District ITDP Officer Sri. Honne Gowda with the following demands, which the officers have assured to co-operate and implement at the earliest:
- Investigation and trial be must completed expeditiously and it must be ensured that the guilty, Chinnappa, receive punishment for this shocking atrocity.
- The victims of this atrocity, including Smt Geetha, his wife and Sri Thimma and Smt Summi, his parents, must be given compensation of Rs. 20 lakhs immediately.
- Smt Geetha should be provided with a government job. Houses should be provided for her and Ponnanna’s parents. The Social Welfare department must provide proper education to his younger brother, Poovanna.
- The protections and entitlements under the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 2989 must be scrupulously provided.
- The victims and witnesses must be provided protection against all forms of intimidations and threats in relation to the criminal case.
- The State Government cannot further ignore the brutal social reality of Yeravas, who must be provided land, for housing and cultivation. Yeravas must be freed from the "line housing" in plantations.
- Special care should be taken to ensure that children from the community receive proper education and opportunities in government jobs.
