Farmers on warpath

Protest against land acquisition

Ahna Prakash | NT

Bengaluru

 The indefinite protest by Dasarahalli farmers against land acquisition has shifted to Freedom Park on Tuesday, marking its 163rd day. The farmers are protesting against the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board’s (KIADB) plan of acquiring 1,777 acres of fertile agricultural land. The state government wants to open a global tender and invite industries to set up their plants in Devanahalli.

“Karnataka government is acquiring fertile agricultural land in the name of industrial development. Farmers from different parts of the state who are worried about losing their livelihood due to this land acquisition process are conducting various kinds of protests against it. Especially the farmers of Bangalore rural district who have witnessed the process of land acquisition and its consequences for the last couple of decades and depend on agriculture for their livelihood, are strongly opposing the acquisition of agricultural land,” said Bayya Redy, of Karnataka Prantya Raita Sangha and the former state secretary of CPI(M).

The farmers of 13 villages are opposing the recent land acquisition proposed by the government.

“When the government did not respond to our request, we organized protest sit-ins, and tractor rallies to the district collector’s office; the farmers have been sitting on an indefinite sit-in since April 4 this year in front of the Nada office in Channarayapatna, the Hobali centre and 163 days have passed since the farmers began organising dharnas.

Demand rain damage relief

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru

Farmers on Tuesday continued the protest demanding the rollback of various anti-farmer measures and compensation for rain damage. Around 8,000 farmers with farmer leader Kodihalli Chandrasekhar demanded the withdrawal of contentious provisions of the Electricity Amendment Bill.

Bengaluru police detained hundreds of farmers who were protesting under the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Green Brigade and took them to Adugodi KSRP g round and CAR ground on Mysuru Road.

 Chandrasekhar along with activists of the State Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sena were taken into custody by the police from Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna railway station.

Later, when the activists tried to lay siege to the Vidhana Soudha through a jatha, they were stopped by the police. When the farmers continued, some leaders met PwD Minister C C Patil and submitted a memorandum. The protest was called off as the government responded positively.

Previously, Cha ndrasekhar, on Monday, said, “We want the government to take back anti farmers’ policies. We condemn the government’s move to install electricity meters in farmer’s pump sets.” He further said, “The government should also compensate the farmers for all the crops and houses that were destroyed due to the recent heavy rains in Karnataka.”