Rattled by farmer suicides, politicos go on solace sojourn

Politicians are set to visit the homes of farmers who committed suicide, over the next two days.

The Congress high command has entrusted the task to visit the houses of deceased farmers in Mandya and Mysuru districts to former chief minister S M Krishna and on Friday he visited a few homes, to begin with. 

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah too has become active. He has written to all district
incharge ministers to visit villages and meet farmers, listen to their grievances and offer condolences to the families of farmers who committed suicide.

The chief minister has asked his cabinet colleagues to submit reports on their visits to him within a week.

Siddaramaiah himself is visiting villages in Mandya and Mysuru districts on Sunday. He is scheduled to go to the house of Shivalinge Gowda in Honnanayakanahalli in Mandya, of Rajendra in Chinnenahalli, Srirangapatna, the house of Mahadeva Nayaka in Hura village, Nanjangud taluk and that of Shivalinge Gowda in Siddegowdana Hundi in Nanjangud.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president G Parameshwara has written to all legislators to meet farmers along with the respective district presidents of the party. He has urged the legislators to take steps to ensure government programmes like interest free loans reach the farmers in time. He has asked the legislators to send their reports to the KPCC as they have to be sent them to the AICC.

The BJP is holding ‘Raitha samvad’ (interactive meeting with farmers) at the district and the taluk level on Saturday and Sunday. All elected representatives, including MPs, legislators and panchayat members of the party, have been directed to attend the meeting.

The party has constituted six teams to tour the State and interact with farmers on July 25 and 26. The six teams are headed by Pralhad Joshi, Jagadish Shettar, K S Eshwarappa, R Ashoka, C T Ravi and K B Shanappa.

The JD(S) has so far not planned any tours. However, party chief H D Deve Gowda on Saturday held the Centre and the State government responsible for the farmer suicides. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been claiming that because he belongs to Ahinda (acronym for minorities, backward classes sand dalits), he is being attacked over the farmers issue.

“Does that mean that none of the farmers who committed suicide belongs to Ahinda? Recently BJP national president Amit Shah was in Bengaluru. He spoke only about strengthening the party, but never mentioned farmers’ suicide.”