Devanahalli Land Row: ‘Silence is not neutrality, speak up', Karnataka intellectuals urge industry and tech leaders
In an open letter dated July 1, 2025, the signatories including Ramachandra Guha, Sabiha Bhoomigowda, Chandan Gowda, Janaki Nair among others, demanded that business leaders raise their voice for 'a fairer, more balanced development paradigm' and use their leadership 'for conscience, equity, and a just future.'
Farmers from 13 villages in Devanahalli taluk have been engaged in protest for over 1,180 days against the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board's (KIADB) plan to acquire 1,777 acres of fertile farmland for a proposed Defence and Aerospace Park.
Legitimacy of the land acquisition process
Echoing the concerns of Devanahalli's farmers and residents related to loss of livelihood as well as a 'fair and timely' compensation, the letter said that the protest raises urgent questions about the direction of Karnataka's development strategy.
The scholars and scientists flagged the legitimacy of the land acquisition process, pointing to KIADB's 2022 survey that showed that over 80% of farmers were unwilling to part with their land as well as an earlier CAG Performance Audit Report (No. 8 of 2017), which had exposed serious irregularities in KIADB's land acquisition and allotment processes.
Using nan-arable land for industries
'KIADB already holds significant surplus, unutilised land across Karnataka that could accommodate such industrial ventures. The persistent focus on acquiring fertile farmland in Devanahalli, despite these alternatives, raises serious concerns about opaque land transactions and possible collusion between speculative interests and elements within the ruling establishment,' the letter said.
'We also ask that you protect food security by opposing the diversion of fertile arable land to industrial use and by insisting that industrial corridors be confined to non-arable land unfit for farming,' it added.
Economic success vs ethical leadership
Coming days ahead of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's scheduled meeting with farmer representatives and stakeholders on July 4, the letter appealed to industry leaders to seek from the State government a thorough review of the Devanahalli acquisition and support a broader public dialogue on Karnataka's land-acquisition policy.
'Today, your responsibility extends beyond economic success to ethical leadership and the pursuit of inclusive development. In this moment, silence is not neutrality—it is impact,' the open letter noted.
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The Hindu
14 hours ago
- The Hindu
How Karnataka's Farmers Are Defying Land Grab in Bangalore Suburb
Published : Jul 02, 2025 21:41 IST - 8 MINS READ For the past 1184 days, 'Wiring' Pillappa, a 70-year-old sericulturist from Mattabaralu village in Devanahalli taluk of Bengaluru Rural district, has been waking up every morning to head to Channarayapatna, a larger village some 5 km away. Channarayapatna is around 13 km away from the toll booth on National Highway 44 that marks the end of the 35 km stretch that is commonly known as the Airport Road in Bengaluru. Take the ramp on the left after the toll booth and the road heads to Kempegowda International Airport but continue straight for another couple of kilometres from the toll booth and take a right. After a short ride, one reaches a clutch of government offices in Channarayapatna as the village is the headquarters of the hobli (a cluster of villages recognised as an administrative unit). What grabs the attention of a visitor is a white canopy amid the lack-lustre government offices and the many banners and pictures of B.R. Ambedkar and Gandhi that festoon the frail walls of this canopy. Pillappa can be usually found in this canopy between 9 am and 5 pm and he said that people had affixed 'Wiring' to his name because he was handy with electrical work. 'What will happen to my children' Pillappa's two acres of land were identified by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) in August 2021 as part of an attempt to notify the acquisition of 1,777 acres of land located in 13 villages in Channarayapatna hobli. Over the next few months, as the significance of this proposed notification began to sink in among the families whose lands were identified, there was intense discomfort and outright opposition as they contemplated the dreaded proposition of having to part with their family lands. Also Read | 'A majority of farmers oppose the changes to the Karnataka Land Reforms Act' At the beginning of 2022, farmers began their protest and burnt the notices that they had received from KIADB. On April 4, 2022, an indefinite protest—which is marked daily by changing the day of the protest on a black slate—against the proposed acquisition began in Channarayapatna, which continues to this day. As part of this, Pillappa comes every day, sits under the canopy for at least 8-10 hours before heading home. 'If my land is taken away, what will happen to my four children? Even if the government offers me Rs.10 crores per acre, I am not going to give away my land', Pillappa said. The KIADB intends to acquire the land as the future site of a proposed high-tech Defence and Aerospace Park. According to Ramesh Cheemanahalli, a resident of the village of Cheemanahalli, which is one among the 13 identified villages, 'this is the second phase of land acquisition in Devanahalli taluk. The first phase took place in 2014 where 1,280 acres was acquired from four villages'. Considering the area's proximity to the Kempegowda International Airport, land prices have risen considerably in the area, but what was startling to note was the comprehensive agricultural nature of the region from where the airport is a mere half an hour away. Small and marginal farmers are present in all 13 villages who practise integrated farming: Meaning that they grow a plethora of agricultural and horticultural produce on small fertile parcels of their land and supplement their incomes with dairy and poultry farming. They have taken advantage of their closeness to the large market of Bengaluru to benefit when compared with other farmers in the rural hinterland who do not have that same advantage. Mukunda C.R., 45, of Polanahalli village lost his 12.5 acres of land to the first phase of land acquisition in Devanahalli taluk but filed a case against the KIADB and the case is ongoing in the Karnataka High Court. He proudly showed off his land of which eight acres were dedicated to mango trees while a poultry farm flourished in the remaining area. 'I make at least Rs.15 lakhs annually from my poultry farm. Why should I give away my land?' Mukunda asked piquantly. Pramod Kumar, 34, of Polanahalli village who owns six acres of land along with his extended family said, 'We have had this land for five generations. We grow marigold flowers and vegetables'. When asked why he was against his land being acquired by the KIADB, Kumar gave a short answer: 'Peace of mind.' He added, 'Our family makes around Rs.12 lakhs per annum but we are satisfied here. The joy that we find in this life is very important to us'. On the way to his marigold fields, the integrated farming approach of the villagers in the region became evident: Compact parcels of land cultivated with different crops such as sweet corn, grape, cabbage, banana, a variety of greens, tomato among others. The experiences of past farmers who gave away their land in the first phase of acquisition weighed heavily on the protesting farmers. Pramod Kumar said, 'The farmers who lost land in the past are now earning a living as agricultural labourers or factory workers making a mere Rs.15,000-Rs.20,000 monthly. They are regretting their decisions now.' Jagadish Devanna of Polanahalli was one of these farmers who parted with two acres of his land in 2018 as part of this first phase of land acquisition. 'I wish I could take back my decision', he said, adding, 'We (he and his siblings) were promised Rs.1.1 crore per acre but I had to pay commissions to KIADB officials even to receive this amount and we finally received only Rs. 80 lakhs per acre in 2020, which was divided among our family members. I have become a coolie [agricultural labourer] now because of my circumstances.' There is also anger against the Congress and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah personally because the protesting farmers consider him as a betrayer. In September 2022, Siddaramaiah had assured the farmers that he would withdraw the KIADB notification when the Congress came to power; But, instead, his government continued the process first initiated under the previous BJP government. Parvathamma, a marginal farmer in Mattabaralu village who cultivated ragi on 27 guntas [40 guntas make an acre], unleashed a slew of invectives against the Chief Minister. 'When will Siddaramaiah stop torturing us? Why did he go back on his promise? I don't want any money. I just want my land as only the sky and land are permanent elements. How many days will I spend money? I will not leave this land even if I die'! Remarkable longevity The ongoing protest has been remarkable for its longevity as it has already been three-and-half years since it began. It is also interesting because it has brought together farmers across caste lines in this region, which was known for its social stratification. Even till a few years ago, the Vokkaligas, who are the dominant farmers in the region, were resentful of Dalits because 500 acres of land was granted to them in Channarayapatna hobli in the 1970s as part of the land reform legislations that took place in Karnataka under the Chief Ministership of Devraj Urs. But, the impending fear of their lands being acquired has brought all farmers together under the leadership of Karahalli Srinivas, a Dalit farmer. 'Even if the government threatens us with a gun, we will not be cowed down', Srinivas told Frontline while commenting on the nature of the State government itself: 'What is the government but an entity constituted by the people? It cannot be a representative only of corporates'. Minister for Large and Medium Industries, M.B. Patil, attempted to placate the farmers last week by announcing that land would not be acquired from three villages (of the 13 villages) and that the State government would not acquire any land in the future from Channarayapatna hobli but this offer has done nothing to change the determination of the protesting farmers. Also Read | Karnataka: Hand in hand Responding to Patil's offer, Noor Sridhar, president of Karnataka Janashakti—which is part of a broader alliance of civil society groups called Samyukta Horata Karnataka that are supporting the farmers' protest—responded to Patil's offer thus: 'This is a struggle for life and livelihood of farmers who have been using honest means to save their land. If this struggle lacked substance, there would have been a rift among the villagers when Patil excluded the land of three villages from the acquisition process. But, even today, farmers from those excluded villages are participating in the struggle every day. The industries minister should understand this point that it is illegal to acquire fertile agricultural land from farmers.' A meeting of the Karnataka cabinet is slated to take place today (July 2) where the vexed issue could be discussed. Members of the Samyukta Horata Karnataka and the Land Acquisition Resistance Committee of Channarayapatna have promised to escalate their protests if the government did not drop its idea of acquiring land in Channarayapatna. In the lead-up to the Karnataka Cabinet meeting on July 2—held in Nandi Hills, a short distance from Devanahalli—farmers had called on the government to officially withdraw the acquisition plan. The Cabinet, which was expected look into the matter, took no decision. A meeting is now scheduled between the farmers and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on July 4. Members of the Samyukta Horata Karnataka and the Land Acquisition Resistance Committee of Channarayapatna have made their position clear: if the government refuses to back down, the protests will escalate.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
‘If my land is snatched away, I will die by suicide': Devanahalli farmers to intensify protest ahead of meeting with CM Siddaramaiah
With uncertainty staring at him, Raghu M, a farmer from Devanahalli's Gokare Bachchenahalli village, is already contemplating extreme steps if the Karnataka Government goes ahead and acquires his land for the high-tech defence and aerospace sector park in the Bengaluru Rural district. Raghu, 58, is among the farmers protesting against the acquisition of 1,777 acres of land, spread across 13 villages in the Bengaluru Rural district, by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB). Several farmer unions, including the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, have threatened to intensify their protest if the government does not drop the project. The affected landowners are expected to meet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Friday, July 4, seeking withdrawal of the final notification to acquire their lands. 'Snatching my land means snatching my life' Raghu, who grows sandalwood on his 10-acre land in Gokere Machenahalli, has an annual income of Rs 80,000 and looks after a family of four. Speaking to The Indian Express from the protest site at Freedom Park, Raghu said, 'Snatching away my land means snatching away my life. I have my parents' samadhi (memorial) on the land. I will kill myself near the samadhi, if the government acquires my land. This is the fifth time the government is notifying land for industrial purposes in the Channarayapatna hobli. This is when there is significant underutilisation in at least 40 per cent of land allotted to existing industries by KIADB in the hobli.' Farmers argue that KIADB developed an industrial area spanning 1,282 acres in Phase I of the Haralur Industrial Area in Devanahalli taluk. However, only two companies have set up production units in this area, reportedly suggesting significant underutilisation of the allocated land. They say it is a clear indication of prioritising corporate and vested interests over farmer welfare. Farmers have also warned that depriving them of their agricultural lands will lead to severe disruption of essential supplies to Bengaluru. 'If we lose our agricultural land to industrial projects, Bengaluru will be hit severely. Most of the vegetables and milk for Bengaluru come from Devanahalli taluk, given its proximity to the city,' adds Raghu. 'Will end up with gatekeeping, gardening jobs' Gopinath A S, another protesting farmer from Nallur, is facing hurdles in obtaining a no-objection certificate to install a borewell for irrigation on his 6.5-acre agricultural land. Courtesy: the government's finalisation of the notification for land acquisition. Gopinath, who supports a family of 15, grows ragi in his agricultural field, says, 'The only work I know is agriculture. How am I supposed to support my family and my livelihood when the government is grabbing my land? Despite protests from the farmers for the last 3.5 years, the government still went ahead with the final notification'. He also points out that several landowners who lost their land to previous industrial projects ended up as gardeners or gatekeepers at the factories. 'The government has assured compensation of 10,771 sq ft of developed land per acre. What will farmers with small land parcels do? Especially, those with 1 acre or 2 acres of land. They cannot practise agriculture in a small parcel of land in a village. Eventually, they will end up with gatekeeping and gardening jobs in the factories because they are unskilled and know nothing but agriculture,' adds Gopinath. Another farmer, Yangtamma, who has invested nearly Rs 8-9 lakh in the last five years to grow pomegranate on her 5.5-acre land, is equally worried. 'With the government set to acquire my land, all my investment and hard work will go in vain,' she says. The farmers also point out that nearly 80 per cent of landowners raised objections to the land acquisition process when the government conducted the khata amalgamation three years ago. 'While some families accepted compensation, some families remain undecided,' says Raghu. For public-private partnership projects or private acquisitions, consent from 70-80 per cent of affected landowners is required, in line with the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. Meanwhile, on June 24, the Karnataka Government decided to exclude 495 acres from three villages from land acquisition. However, farmers from these villages are not convinced. Lakshmamma is a farmer from Nallapanahalli, whose village has been excluded from land acquisition. However, she continues to protest and stand in solidarity with other landowners until the government drops the acquisition process. 'We don't trust the government. No land means no job. My entire family is into agriculture. We grow ragi, silk, and vegetables on a 3-acre land parcel. If the government acquires our land, we have nowhere else to go. We don't want to leave our land. Despite our village being excluded, we still want all other villages to be dropped from the acquisition process,' says Lakshmamma. Competing with other states The state government is ambitiously pursuing the high-tech defence and aerospace park to keep up with the intensifying competition from neighbouring states. Tamil Nadu has emerged as a strong competitor with two planned Aerospace and Defence (A&D) parks in Coimbatore — 350 acres at Varapatti and another near Sulur with an airstrip for trials, similar to Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Hyderabad is also a growing A&D hub, with industrial parks like the one in Adibatla hosting companies such as Tata Advanced Systems and Lockheed Martin. Andhra Pradesh has also recently proposed new HAL facilities, sparking debates about potential relocation from Karnataka, though Karnataka retains HAL's core production units in Bengaluru and Tumkur. The state is also developing industrial corridors to attract A&D investments. Additionally, Andhra Pradesh also offers large land parcels at lower costs compared to Karnataka, and its coastal location boosts logistics for exports. Meanwhile, Maharashtra is positioning Nashik as a future A&D hub, with plans for a defence corridor between Nashik and Pune. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently claimed that Maharashtra is attracting significant A&D investments, surpassing established corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. 'The final notification for the acquisition of land in Devanahalli taluk was issued in April 2025, and reversing it now would be highly problematic due to the administrative processes that are already underway. Such a rollback could create a ripple effect, encouraging farmers across Devanahalli and beyond to demand de-notification of their unutilised KIADB lands, disrupting planned industrial development,' a state government official said. Sanath Prasad is a senior sub-editor and reporter with the Bengaluru bureau of Indian Express. He covers education, transport, infrastructure and trends and issues integral to Bengaluru. He holds more than two years of reporting experience in Karnataka. His major works include the impact of Hijab ban on Muslim girls in Karnataka, tracing the lives of the victims of Kerala cannibalism, exploring the trends in dairy market of Karnataka in the aftermath of Amul-Nandini controversy, and Karnataka State Elections among others. If he is not writing, he keeps himself engaged with badminton, swimming, and loves exploring. ... Read More
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Devanahalli Land Row: ‘Silence is not neutrality, speak up', Karnataka intellectuals urge industry and tech leaders
Urging industry and technology leaders to stand with the farmers of Devanahalli, as many as 30 scholars, scientists, and public-policy experts from Karnataka have asked them to speak out on the protracted land conflict and displacement of the farming community in the region. In an open letter dated July 1, 2025, the signatories including Ramachandra Guha, Sabiha Bhoomigowda, Chandan Gowda, Janaki Nair among others, demanded that business leaders raise their voice for 'a fairer, more balanced development paradigm' and use their leadership 'for conscience, equity, and a just future.' Farmers from 13 villages in Devanahalli taluk have been engaged in protest for over 1,180 days against the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board's (KIADB) plan to acquire 1,777 acres of fertile farmland for a proposed Defence and Aerospace Park. Legitimacy of the land acquisition process Echoing the concerns of Devanahalli's farmers and residents related to loss of livelihood as well as a 'fair and timely' compensation, the letter said that the protest raises urgent questions about the direction of Karnataka's development strategy. The scholars and scientists flagged the legitimacy of the land acquisition process, pointing to KIADB's 2022 survey that showed that over 80% of farmers were unwilling to part with their land as well as an earlier CAG Performance Audit Report (No. 8 of 2017), which had exposed serious irregularities in KIADB's land acquisition and allotment processes. Using nan-arable land for industries 'KIADB already holds significant surplus, unutilised land across Karnataka that could accommodate such industrial ventures. The persistent focus on acquiring fertile farmland in Devanahalli, despite these alternatives, raises serious concerns about opaque land transactions and possible collusion between speculative interests and elements within the ruling establishment,' the letter said. 'We also ask that you protect food security by opposing the diversion of fertile arable land to industrial use and by insisting that industrial corridors be confined to non-arable land unfit for farming,' it added. Economic success vs ethical leadership Coming days ahead of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's scheduled meeting with farmer representatives and stakeholders on July 4, the letter appealed to industry leaders to seek from the State government a thorough review of the Devanahalli acquisition and support a broader public dialogue on Karnataka's land-acquisition policy. 'Today, your responsibility extends beyond economic success to ethical leadership and the pursuit of inclusive development. In this moment, silence is not neutrality—it is impact,' the open letter noted.
