Karnataka farmers to launch indefinite stir on December 7

The united front of farmer, labour, Dalit and progressive organisations will launch an indefinite stir in Bengaluru on Monday, in solidarity with the demonstrations being held in Delhi against the controversial farm laws. They also extended support to the Bharat Bandh call on December 8 to protest the laws.

“The organisations will launch a massive protest in front of Gandhi statue at Maurya Circle on Monday. All units of the organisations, functioning in different parts of the state, will extend support to the December 8 bandh call,” Kurubur Shanthakumar, president of the Karnataka farmer organisations’ union, said.

Urging people from all spheres of life to back the protests and the bandh call, he accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi government of conspiring to destroy the agriculture sector. Rather than fulfilling the assurance of implementing the Swaminathan Committee report made ahead of 2019 polls, the central government has made laws to decimate farmers, he alleged.

Follow live updates on the farmers' protest here

Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha president Kodihalli Chandrashekhar said that the farmers would lay siege to Vidhana Soudha on December 9 to protest the farm laws and ordinances issued by state governments.

The farmers’ stir in Karnataka will coincide with the Legislature session of the state government for the second time this year. Back in September, farmers had staged a week long protest in Bengaluru and held an alternative ‘people’s session’ during the monsoon session of the government.

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in Hubballi, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that the Centre was ready to address all the issues raised by the farmers.

“We have said it in Parliament and we are saying to the farmers during the negotiation meetings that all their demands will be met. There is no need for the farmers to stage a protest,” Joshi said and urged the farmers to withdraw their ‘Bharat Bandh’ call.

However, when asked about the specific demand of farmers regarding repealing of the three Acts, Joshi said the issue would be discussed again by Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar in December 9 meeting.