Farmers Movement Archive

Roadblocks range from a few minutes to more than an hour as farmers stage protest in several districts

Farmers supported by members of various Opposition parties took to the streets on Friday to register their protest against the farm bills in various districts in North Karnataka with roadblocks ranging from several minutes to over one hour disrupting vehicular traffic. As the farmers associations have called for a Karnataka Bandh on Monday over issues concerning farmers, Friday’s protest was symbolic in many places with the protestors restricting their agitation to blocking National Highways at various points. In some places, the police took some of the protestors into custody to clear traffic and later released them. In a protest staged by farmers near Rayapur located between Hubballi and Dharwad, the police finally had to take KPCC media analyst P.H. Neeralakeri and others into custody after they insisted on continuing the hour-long road blockade. The police, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Anusha, took the protestors into custody and cleared the Hubballi-Dharwad Road. Due to the road blockade, the police had diverted traffic via alternative routes. In Hubballi, members of the Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha and Hasiru Sene, the Hasiru Kranti Trust, various trade unions, the former MLA N.H. Konaraddi, Congress leaders Rajashekhar Menasinakai, Babajan Mudhol, Bangaresh Hiremath and others, including Siddu Teji and B.A. Mudhol, staged a symbolic protest at Kittur Chennamma Circle opposing the amendments to the Land Reforms Act, APMC Act and others. Later, a group of protestors proceeded to Hubballi-Dharwad Bypass Road where they blocked the road for several minutes to register their protest. In Haveri, farmers congregated at Hosamani Siddappa Circle snd staged protest under the aegis of the Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha and Hasiru Sene and blocked the road for around half an hour. Staging a dharna at the traffic circle, the protestors termed the move as anti-farmer and anti-people and urged the government to immediately withdraw the amendments, which they said were detrimental to the farming community. In Gadag, the protest went on for over an hour with the farmers staging a demonstration at Tipu Sultan Circle and blocked the main road. However, as the police had diverted traffic through alternative routes, long distance travellers were not affected and there was no pile up of vehicles. Farmers organisations staged demonstrations and road blocks at all taluk headquarters in the district condemning the State government’s decision to bring in amendments to various laws. Terming them anti-farmer, they demanded the immediate withdrawal of the amendments. Similar protests were reported from various places in Davangere and Uttara Kannada.

The Hindu

2020-09-26

HUBBALLI,KARNATAKA