Devanahalli protest | How loss of partial eyesight didn't deter this Karnataka farmer's spirit

Bengaluru: Thirty-four-year-old Pramod Kumar’s fight against the odds stands as a testament for the grit, determination and perseverance of the farmers who were victorious in the historic 1,198-day protest against land acquisition in Devanahalli Taluk.

A native of Polanahalli Village in Channarayapatna Hobli, Devanahalli taluk, Pramod has been protesting against land acquisition since April 2022, when the previous BJP government passed a preliminary notification that 1,777 acres of land would be acquired. Though the vision in his left eye was impaired during the protests, he hasn't budged.

Pramod Kumar

Pramod’s struggles begun on August 15, 2022, when he and some farmers announced a silent protest against the Independence Day flag-hoisting event at Devanahalli by BJP leader Dr K Sudhakar.

“Before we could go there, the police attacked us around 2 am, when we were still sleeping at the protest spot at Channarayapatna. They cut the electricity supply and attacked us. In the ensuing melee, they hit my left eye with some object and I lost my eyesight.” Pramod told DH.

DH also spoke to Pramod’s brother Srinivas (38). “I got to know about this in the morning at 8 am. Even though he had a serious injury and was first-aided, he was arrested and his mobile was seized. They were kicked and brutally treated. We took him to a government hospital in Devanahalli and went to Minto (eye hospital). Then they said there has to be surgery,” Srinivas added.

The retina and eye lens were changed during the surgery. However, his vision has not returned to normal. He only has a 50-60% vision and is largely managing through his right eye.

However, Pramod remains unfazed. “These things have become common in protests. We have faced several impediments but we fought unitedly. That's why we have won."

DH also spoke to 55-year-old Venkatesh, who has had operations on both his legs. During a recent protest in front of Food Minister and Devanahalli MLA KH Muniyappa’s house, the police are said to have clamped down on protestors. At this point, some people fell on Venkatesh’s legs and he was severely injured. He was taken to the Ejipura Hospital and treated.