Families roll beedis, cook together while protesting for homes

MANGALURU

In a powerful display of unity and resilience, families from Kuppepadavu village in the Mangaluru North constituency have launched an indefinite protest, demanding the land and homes they were promised years ago. Women protesters have turned the protest site into a workspace, rolling beedis and cooking meals as they wait for justice.

Muneer Katipalla, District Secretary of the CPM (Dakshina Kannada), stated that hundreds of poor families had applied for housing sites decades ago. In a hurried pre-election move six years ago, 97 families were issued title deeds. However, despite the documents, the land was never handed over. After years of unfulfilled promises and repeated sit-ins since January, the community formed a protest committee and began an indefinite dharna outside the Kuppepadavu gram panchayat.

Now on its 11th day, the protest has seen no response from the authorities. Yet, the spirit of the protesters remains strong. Hindu and Muslim women are not only protesting side by side but are also supporting their families by rolling beedis and sharing meals—cooking and eating rice gruel from the same pot.

“This is more than a protest,” said Katipalla. “It is a lesson in harmony and strength. While the youth are caught up in communal debates, these women are showing what true unity looks like.”

He urged local elected representatives to address the long-pending demands of these families and deliver the housing plots that have been lawfully approved. The protest highlights both the administrative apathy and the incredible solidarity of the working-class families fighting peacefully for their rightful homes.