Farmers Movement Archive

Twin districts too witness symbolic protest

Activists from political parties, including the Congress, the Communist Part of India and the Janata Dal (Secular), and representatives of farmers and other social organisations on Friday carried out protests in the city against the farm bills and the industrial safety, social security and occupational safety codes. Congress activists, including the former Manglauru City South MLA J.R. Lobo and District Youth Congress president Mithun Rai, Democratic Youth Federation of India’s State president Muneer Katipalla, district president of Karnataka Pranta Raita Sangha Krishnappa Saliyan and district secretary of the Communist Party of India V. Kuckian, were among those who took part in the protest. Activists said that the Union and State governments were acting against the interests of farmers and workers. The two governments are making Acts and bringing in amendments that favour capitalists. The two governments were acting in an authoritarian way and have no regard for democratic practices, they added. The activists blocked the movement of vehicles coming towards the city for a brief period by sitting on the National Highway near the busy Nantoor Junction. Then, they held a protest meeting by the roadside. Among the activists who took part in the protest included those from Social Democratic Party of India, All India Trade Union Congress, Centre of Indian Trade Unions, Indian National Trade Union Congress, Dalit Sangharsh Samiti, Students Federation of India and National Students Union of India. Similar protests were held in Belthangady, Puttur, Sullia and Bantwal and also in Udupi. In Hassan Farmers staged a protest in Hassan on Friday demanding that the Union and State governments withdraw what they said anti-farmer bills. They opposed the amendments to the Karnataka Land Reforms Act brought by the State government and the Union government’s bill curtailing the power of the APMCs. Under the banner of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene, hundreds of farmers took out a march from the Hemavati Statue Circle to the Deputy Commissioner’s office in the city. The protesters said that both the governments had been implementing anti-farmers decisions. The new laws would sound the death knell to the farming community as they will lose their right over their land as well as produces they grow gradually due to the anti-farmer laws, they said. The recent decision of the those in power had shown that capitalist forces had been influencing the administration. When the farming sector had been suffering because of the COVID-19 situation, the anti-farmer bills would hit them hard, said Anekere Ravi, vice-president of KRRS. Leaders of pro-farmer organisations Mehaboob Pasha, Shivarame Gowda, Naveen Kumar and others took part in the protest.

The Hindu

2020-09-26

MANGALURU/HASSAN,KARNATAKA