Farmers protest as forest department moves to clear disputed land in Pulasa village

Hyderabad: Farmers from the Muslim community said they were ready to give their lives to protect their land. In Pulasa village in Hyderabad, forest department officials’ attempt to level farmland under the farmers’ control using a JCB sparked massive protests. The matter came to public attention after footage of the incident was released on Friday.

The forest department officials had come to the land in question to plant saplings. The farmers produced land records they say show the plots were allotted to them before 2019. They said the land, cultivated by their families for generations, is their sole means of livelihood, and that they would face starvation if they lost it, adding the claim with tears in their eyes.

“This is land we have farmed for the past fifty years. It is the labor of our family and our ancestors. We are ready to die to protect this land,” the protesting farmers said.

However, officials present at the site argued that the land belongs to the forest department and that the trees on it are the department’s property. They told the farmers that if there is a dispute over ownership, legal action can be taken.

A. Bheersha, the revenue officer of Jainoor division, declined to comment on the matter. He said he was not aware of the village land dispute and suggested the forest department may have acted because the land is its property. He added that further comment would be possible only after revenue records are checked.

Meanwhile, attempts to contact District Forest Officer Chandra Balamani at Kumuram Bhim Asifabad were made several times, but there was no response from his office, officials said.