Devanahalli farmers ecstatic after 1,198-day protest ends in victory

Bengaluru: Farmers and activists were ecstatic on Tuesday after their historic 1,198-day struggle ended with the government deciding to withdraw the notification to acquire 1,777 acres in Channarayapatna hobli of Devanahalli Taluk.

Thrilled farmers hugged each other as tears of joy rolled from their eyes. Sweets were distributed among the Devanahalli farmers, who were delighted by their victory in protecting their land.

Addressing a press meet later, farmers’ leader Badagalapura Nagendra said: “Great leaders used to say Vidhana Soudha is a stone building; it doesn’t have any life, subtlety, or sensitiveness. It cannot see or respond to the people protesting in the streets. But today, we won our fight for lands and it proved that previous perception was wrong.”

Nagendra later told DH that farmers in Channarayapatna had taken such a strong decision as they had seen farmers around them lose land and their means of livelihood following acquisition for the Kempegowda International Airport at Devanahalli. 

Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) leader Varalakshmi said, “This is the result when red (left parties), blue (Ambedkarites) and green (farmers’ organisations) come together and fight.” 

“Isolated movements – one-legged walking as Devanur Mahadeva said – cannot help us achieve target. We can win only by staying united. This victory is creating new optimism. Farmers fought for 1,198 days. They tried to lure farmers, even harassed them, but they didn’t budge. There were attempts to scuttle this from various vested interests. Even then, artists, progressives, writers and so on united in this fight. I would like to congratulate all,”  Dalit leader Guruprasad Keragodu said.

The Samyukta Horata Karnataka and Land Acquisition Resistance Struggle Committee, which have been jointly fighting, hailed the movement as a "victory for Karnataka".

The two organisations, in a press release, thanked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for responding to public sentiment.