1,184 days, no justice: Devanahalli farmers keep the fight on

Bengaluru: A 'land bomb' is ticking away in Devanahalli in the north of the city. Farmers from Channarayapatna Hobli in Devanahalli taluk have sent a loud and clear message to the state government: “We won’t part with even an inch of our land.”

As the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) moves to acquire 1,777 acres across 13 villages for an industrial park, farmers, who’ve been fighting the project for over three years, are refusing to back down. Scores of farmers assembled at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park for a 'Bhoomi Satyagraha', a protest that marks more than 1,184 days of resistance since the movement began on April 4, 2022.

The agitation was led by the Land Acquisition Resistance Committee with support from the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS). “We are not seeking partial exemption.

This project must be scrapped entirely,” thundered KRRS state secretary J.M. Veerasanghaiah. “This is a fight for our existence. These are fertile lands, and we won’t let them be turned into concrete jungles.” The protesters have rejected the government’s recent proposal to drop 500 acres from acquisition, calling it a “cosmetic move” that fails to address the core issue, the destruction of agricultural land in the name of development.

The land in question is rich in food crops, vegetables, and sericulture. Farmers say losing it would be a disaster for Karnataka’s food security. “If this land goes, it’s not just us who lose, it’s the entire state,” said one protesting farmer from Karahalli village. “Our livelihoods feed the cities.”

The June 30 protest came days after the ‘Devanahalli Chalo’ rally on June 25, when police detained several protesters, including senior leaders.

“We were arrested without cause, but we’re not shaken. We’ll keep fighting until our land is safe,” said the farmer, recalling the midnight release.

Solidarity poured in from across the state, with farmers from Ballari and beyond joining the demonstration. Karalli Srinivas, convener of the Land Acquisition Resistance Committee, warned, “This is more than a land issue.

This is about sustainability, food, and justice. If governments don’t protect farmers, who will feed our future?”