It's the plough against Posco

Land acquisition:

As the farming community in Halligudi prepares to intensify its collective struggle against acquisition of their land for steelworks to be set up by Posco and two other companies, Individual farmers are preparing to launch their own individual struggles to make a living off their land.

In the aftermath of recent rains in some areas around Halligudi, some farmers have sowed green gram, with the plants coming up well. Many farmers have ploughed their land and applied compost to prepare the land for sowing.

 As intense daily debate within the community for and against giving up land takes place at places of congregation in the village, older farmers are seen driving their oxen to their farms, carrying the plough. A farmer ploughing his land adjacent to the Gadag-Koppal highway took time off to speak to Deccan Herald.  

“I have received acquisition notice. I am prepared to give up my land. But till it is taken away from me, I will grow onions or maize,” he says. 

Parappa Channahalli sits at the Basaveshwara Temple in the village, with his frisky grandson playing in his lap.

“It should have rained by now. It gets cloudy, but not a drop so far. Onions had grown by this time last year. We had also sown maize, jowar and sunflower. It has not rained this year, but we have ploughed the land,” he says.

Was he prepared to give up his land for Posco? “No way,” he bristles. “We’ve received notices, but we will not give up our land, come what may. The mom­ent it rains, we will start sowing.” 

Senior citizen Basappa Channahalli says: “Already many from our village have bought and stocked seeds and fertilisers from shops in Gadag-Mundaragi and Dambal. Just a few showers and sowing will begins. If it rains properly, we can grow more than 25 quintals of onions an acre.”