Karwar: Fishermen in Kasarkod, Honnavar taluk in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, are allegedly being forcefully evicted from their homes under police supervision to facilitate the construction of a private port. The district administration, instead of addressing public grievances, is reportedly supporting the private port company. Furthermore, those opposing the project are being falsely charged with criminal cases to instill fear among them. These allegations were made by Advocate B.T. Venkatesh, a member of the State Executive of the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), former Public Prosecutor of Karnataka, and a well-known human rights lawyer.
Declaring full legal support from APCR for the affected fishermen in Kasarkod, Advocate Venkatesh accused the state government of favoring private interests over the poor. He strongly condemned the attempts to displace fishermen who have lived on the land for decades. He urged the government to immediately withdraw all cases filed against them and halt the ongoing forced eviction surveys.
Presenting maps of Honnavar and Kasarkod along with official documents from the district administration, Advocate Venkatesh explained that decades ago, Mallukurva village was swallowed by the Arabian Sea, leaving fishermen’s families homeless. The government then allocated plots in Survey No. 303 to these displaced fishermen, issuing title deeds. Since then, they have built houses and resided there for many years. The area even has two Gram Panchayats—Tonka 1 and Tonka 2.
However, in recent years, Survey No. 303 has mysteriously disappeared from government records. Authorities now claim that this land has turned into a river and no longer exists, despite people still living there.
The government further asserts that land reclaimed from the sea has been allocated to Honnavar Port Company. Official records state that Survey Nos. 301, 302, and 304 measure 1 gunta, 1 gunta, and 8 guntas, respectively, while the former Survey No. 303 is now classified as a river. The reclaimed land has been designated as Survey No. 305, covering 93 acres, and has reportedly been handed over to the company.
Raising questions, Advocate Venkatesh asked: If the reclaimed land belongs to the government, what happened to those who originally lost their land to the sea? Does the government not recognize their plight? If the reclaimed land belongs to Honnavar village, who holds ownership rights? What is the truth behind these survey numbers?
For the past three to four years, the fishermen of Tonka village have been seeking answers, leading to increased oppression against them. Despite possessing government-issued documents and title deeds, their repeated appeals to the district administration have gone unanswered. The Uttara Kannada Deputy Commissioner has remained silent on the issue for the past four years.
The previous government reportedly allocated the reclaimed land to a Hyderabad-based company for mining and port development, assuring that local villages would not be affected. However, fishermen have since faced continuous harassment, eviction threats, and multiple legal cases, with no distinction made between men and women. Their only crime is fighting to protect their homes and livelihoods. Advocate Venkatesh highlighted that, shockingly, serious charges, including attempted murder, have been filed against arrested fishermen, making their release difficult. Meanwhile, the district administration claims that the houses in Tonka-1 and Tonka-2 are illegal.
During the press conference, Advocate Venkatesh presented video evidence of promises made by Fisheries Minister Mankal Vaidya, the MLA of Bhatkal-Honnavar constituency, who himself belongs to the fishing community. Before the last assembly elections, he assured the fishermen that no injustice would be done to them and that they would not be evicted. Similarly, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had visited Kasarkod during the elections, stood in solidarity with the fishermen, and even shed tears, promising them justice. However, both leaders have now remained silent spectators, taking no action to address the fishermen’s concerns. Over 30 fishermen have been arrested on charges, including attempted murder, and legal proceedings are currently underway. Many more have gone into hiding out of fear of arrest. These fishermen have lived here for centuries and have no other means of livelihood besides fishing.
Advocate Venkatesh demanded that the government immediately withdraw all cases filed against the fishermen, halt all surveys related to their eviction, and conduct a proper survey to trace the missing Survey No. 303. He also called for protection to be provided to the fishermen, an end to police and district officials' harassment, and strict action against those responsible for atrocities against the fishermen and their families.
The press conference was attended by APCR Karnataka Secretary Hussain Kodibengre, Advocate Shankar, and leaders of the fishermen’s community from Kasarkod.