<p>Devanahalli: After three years of sustained peaceful protest against the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board’s (<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/kiadb">KIADB</a>) land acquisition in Devanahalli, tensions escalated on Thursday when a farmer attempted suicide by consuming rice laced with pesticide. </p><p>The incident took place at the protest site in Channarayanapatna Hobli, where several other farmers also attempted to ingest the chemical.</p><p>The escalation followed an incident earlier in the day when Devanahalli police stopped a bus and several other vehicles carrying around 150 to 200 farmers who were on their way to meet K H Muniyappa, MLA of the Devanahalli constituency. </p><p>Muniyappa had previously assured the farmers that he would take a final call on the land acquisition and announce his decision by the end of the week. However, police prevented the group from reaching the MLA’s residence in such large numbers.</p>.<p>In response to the incident and the continued lack of resolution, the farmers have decided to stage an indefinite protest until Chief Minister Siddaramaiah agrees to meet with them.</p><p>“A bus and some cars were stopped en route to Bengaluru. Though a meeting had been scheduled with the MLA, we were told only on Thursday morning that only five to six farmers were allowed to meet him,” said Ramesh Cheemachanahalli, a farmer from Channarayapatna Hobli.</p><p>Seeing that the movement against land acquisition had been spontaneous and not headed by any individuals in particular, all protesting farmers wished to be in attendance, he added.</p><p>Frustrated and desperate, a farmer tried to consume pesticide, but the bottle was pushed out of his hand by the police. The spilled pesticide was mixed with a rice bath that farmers had brought to the site, which several farmers tried to consume.</p><p>Venkatesh consumed some of the poisoned rice during the scuffle that ensued and collapsed soon after. He was then transported to Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru, where his condition is being monitored.</p><p>Several failed rounds of negotiations with K H Muniyappa, Minister of Small and Medium Scale Industries M B Patil and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had built up an atmosphere of desperation.</p><p>“When the previous government was in power, Siddaramaiah had promised us that if he came to power, he would withdraw the plans for the industrial area within 24 hours,” says Srinivas Polanahalli, a farmer from Channarayanapatna.</p><p>It has been 24 months, but there has been no change in the status of land acquisition. A recent proposal submitted by the KIADB to the state government indicated that plans to go ahead with the acquisition remained in place. “Let us eat the poisoned food, at least then they will hear us,” a farmer at the protest said.</p><p>“We have seen what happens to people who have given up their land, they are left without livelihoods. This is unacceptable, and no one seems to understand this,” says Munivenkatamma, a 70-year-old farmer from Channaryapatna, who is to lose five acres of land. Even though every citizen had fundamental rights — to move about freely and to assemble peacefully— they remained only on paper, she added.</p><p>The actions of the police and ministers, who have breached their duties and promises to the people, are highly condemnable, said Justice Venkate Gowda Gopala Gowda, retired judge of the Supreme Court.</p><p>“If any harm befalls the farmer who has consumed pesticide, by restricting his freedom of expression and movement, the jurisdictional police or the politicians at whose behest such actions were taken, will have abetted. Criminal cases should be registered if anything happens to the farmer,” he said.</p><p>Farmers in Devanahalli’s Channarayanapatna Hobli have been protesting against the KIADB’s move to acquire over 1,777 acres of fertile farmland for over 1,104 days now.</p><p>(If you are in distress or having suicidal tendencies, please reach out to Telemanas helpline at 14416.)</p>
<p>Devanahalli: After three years of sustained peaceful protest against the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board’s (<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/kiadb">KIADB</a>) land acquisition in Devanahalli, tensions escalated on Thursday when a farmer attempted suicide by consuming rice laced with pesticide. </p><p>The incident took place at the protest site in Channarayanapatna Hobli, where several other farmers also attempted to ingest the chemical.</p><p>The escalation followed an incident earlier in the day when Devanahalli police stopped a bus and several other vehicles carrying around 150 to 200 farmers who were on their way to meet K H Muniyappa, MLA of the Devanahalli constituency. </p><p>Muniyappa had previously assured the farmers that he would take a final call on the land acquisition and announce his decision by the end of the week. However, police prevented the group from reaching the MLA’s residence in such large numbers.</p>.<p>In response to the incident and the continued lack of resolution, the farmers have decided to stage an indefinite protest until Chief Minister Siddaramaiah agrees to meet with them.</p><p>“A bus and some cars were stopped en route to Bengaluru. Though a meeting had been scheduled with the MLA, we were told only on Thursday morning that only five to six farmers were allowed to meet him,” said Ramesh Cheemachanahalli, a farmer from Channarayapatna Hobli.</p><p>Seeing that the movement against land acquisition had been spontaneous and not headed by any individuals in particular, all protesting farmers wished to be in attendance, he added.</p><p>Frustrated and desperate, a farmer tried to consume pesticide, but the bottle was pushed out of his hand by the police. The spilled pesticide was mixed with a rice bath that farmers had brought to the site, which several farmers tried to consume.</p><p>Venkatesh consumed some of the poisoned rice during the scuffle that ensued and collapsed soon after. He was then transported to Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru, where his condition is being monitored.</p><p>Several failed rounds of negotiations with K H Muniyappa, Minister of Small and Medium Scale Industries M B Patil and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had built up an atmosphere of desperation.</p><p>“When the previous government was in power, Siddaramaiah had promised us that if he came to power, he would withdraw the plans for the industrial area within 24 hours,” says Srinivas Polanahalli, a farmer from Channarayanapatna.</p><p>It has been 24 months, but there has been no change in the status of land acquisition. A recent proposal submitted by the KIADB to the state government indicated that plans to go ahead with the acquisition remained in place. “Let us eat the poisoned food, at least then they will hear us,” a farmer at the protest said.</p><p>“We have seen what happens to people who have given up their land, they are left without livelihoods. This is unacceptable, and no one seems to understand this,” says Munivenkatamma, a 70-year-old farmer from Channaryapatna, who is to lose five acres of land. Even though every citizen had fundamental rights — to move about freely and to assemble peacefully— they remained only on paper, she added.</p><p>The actions of the police and ministers, who have breached their duties and promises to the people, are highly condemnable, said Justice Venkate Gowda Gopala Gowda, retired judge of the Supreme Court.</p><p>“If any harm befalls the farmer who has consumed pesticide, by restricting his freedom of expression and movement, the jurisdictional police or the politicians at whose behest such actions were taken, will have abetted. Criminal cases should be registered if anything happens to the farmer,” he said.</p><p>Farmers in Devanahalli’s Channarayanapatna Hobli have been protesting against the KIADB’s move to acquire over 1,777 acres of fertile farmland for over 1,104 days now.</p><p>(If you are in distress or having suicidal tendencies, please reach out to Telemanas helpline at 14416.)</p>