Farmers destroy crops to save Gomala land

In an interesting development, a group of farmers decided to cultivate forest and ‘gomala’ land while another group destroyed crops to ‘save’ forest at Nagarahalli near here Friday.

About 350 acre Gomala land in survey number 118, 117, 167, 168 was sanctioned to the farmers in Nagarahalli in the past. In the remaining 400 acre Gomala and revenue land, the forest department had grown eucalyptus. However, in the last 15 days, few influential farmers have started using the Gomala land for ploughing, alleged the villagers.

Under the aegis of Karnataka Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene members, the farmers of Nagarahalli, Thimmanahalli, Kularahalli, Devalapura and Giddenahalli had called for a protest against the encroachment of the forest and Gomala land. Dropping the protest, the villagers cleared the huts built on the land and destroyed the crops grown in Gomala and forest land. Few farmers who had grown crops after getting permission under Form 53 were also destroyed by the agitating farmers.

The farmers with 50 pairs of ox and sickles damaged jowar, ragi, and marie gold grown on the land. The forest department and the police remained a mute spectators to the act of the agitating farmers. The women and aged farmers were pleading with the another group not to damage their crops. However, they continue to destroy the crops in the name of conserving Gomala land.

The scene of an aged farmer crying in his land looking at the damaged marigold was heart rending scene.

Another group of farmers alleged that the farmers had encroached Thimmanahalli and Nagarahalli.

As per the direction of the government, 30 acre Gomala land should be earmarked for 100 cattle. There are 2,743 cattle in the village. If 400 acre Gomala land is used for cultivating, then the cattle will not get any place to graze.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, RFO Jayakumar said that 10 cases have been registered against the encroachers.

MLA M P Kumaraswamy said “the issue of smuggling of wooden logs has not come to my notice. The villages have been asked to maintain statusquo. We will chalk out a permanent solution by holding talks with the villagers and officials.”