Farmers oppose ordinances, take out massive rally

Farmers across the state take out a march protesting the controversial ordinances brought by the state government, in Bengaluru on Monday. DH Photo/B H Shivakumar

Hundreds of farmers descended on Bengaluru on Monday morning and protested against the state government’s proposed amendment to the Land Reforms Act, Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act, and Electricity Act.

Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Harisu Sene leaders and workers took out a massive protest rally from Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna Railway Station to Vidhana Soudha. The protesters were stopped near Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna flyover by the
police.

Venting ire against the government and its ‘anti-farmer policies’, thousands of farmers sat on the flyover raising slogans against the government. The farmers decided to stage protest day and night till the completion of the monsoon session of the state legislature.

Addressing the farmers, Rajya Raitha Sangha state president Kodihalli Chandrashekhar said that they will fight day and night till the government drops these amendments to the Acts.

He said, “Both the state and the central government are taking anti-agriculture and anti-farmer policies and we will continue our protest against such
decisions.”

“The proposed amendments, being made at the behest of various corporate and multinational companies, will spell doom for the agrarian sector and farmers’ community. The farmers will be deprived of their land and right for the better price for their agricultural commodities. We appeal to the governments to drop these amendments in the interest of the farming community,” he said.

Chandrashekhar cautioned that successive governments, all these years, have given only assurances to the farmers. “We will not go back with assurances this time. We will not move away till our demands are met,” he said.

Thousands of farmers sat on the flyover and protested, Kodihalli Chandrashekar addressed them from the middle of the road.

Akhila Karnataka Sugarcane Growers’ Association, headed by Kurubur Shanthakumar, also participated in the protest rally.

This was a huge protest, which led a traffic jam on Race Course Road, Sankey Road, Sheshadri Road, Nrupathunga Road, Majestic, Chalukya Circle, and surrounding areas, after six months. There were hardly any big protests ever since the Covid-19 outbreak and the lockdown.

Police diverted the traffic leading to Race Course Road. The people had to take longer routes to reach their destinations.