Latest news with #SamyuktaHorataKarnataka
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Farmers, workers rally in Mysuru against ‘corporate takeover' of agriculture
Scores of farmers and activists under the banner of Samyukta Horata Karnataka took to the streets of Mysuru on Wednesday, protesting what they called a systematic 'corporate takeover' of agriculture, rural markets, and public services. The rally, jointly organised by the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS), Karnataka Pranta Raitha Sangha (KPRS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and several allied organisations, began with a march through the city and culminated in a public meeting. The organisers alleged that the plight of the working class had become difficult under the current dispensation which was pursuing the policy of promoting both communalism and encouraging corporate culture. Mr. Jagadish Surya, of KPRS said both the Union and State governments were actively enabling multinational corporations (MNCs) and large domestic corporates to dominate every stage of agriculture — from seed production to procurement, storage, transport, and retail trade. The Samyukta Horata Karnataka activists called for abrogating National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing citing concerns that it was an attempt to help the multinationals. The agitating activists also warned that such policies would privatise farming, push small cultivators into debt, and weaken national food sovereignty. The protesters strongly opposed the corporatisation of farmers' producer organisations (FPOs), contract farming arrangements, and public–private partnership (PPP) models in agriculture. They argued that such policies undermine traditional farming practices, marginalise smallholders, and increase dependency on corporate-controlled supply chains. Other key demands raised by SHK legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) and assured government procurement of crops; complete waiver of farm loans, relief from microfinance companies while it opposed forcible land acquisition from farmers, and privatisation of power sector etc. The Samyukta Horata Karnataka activists raised slogans against the government and demanded that the MNCs 'quit India'. CITU general secretary G. Jayaram, and others were present.
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Time to halt forceful acquisition of land
For more than 1,100 days, farmers of 13 villages near Channarayapatna in Devanahalli taluk, Bengaluru Rural district, have been agitating against the 'forceful' acquisition of their land by the Karnataka government for industrial development. In 2022, the Basavaraj Bommai government notified 1,777 acres off land for a proposed hi-tech defence and aerospace park. This highly fertile region is the lifeline of Bengaluru's food and nutrition security. The farmers immediately took to the streets, demanding that the plan be dropped. They rejected offers of compensation and promises to drop part of the acquisition. The farmers say they want to continue farming and remain on their land that have sustained lives and livelihoods for generations. Their persistent struggle has not only brought them into national focus, but has also foregrounded the legitimacy of forcible land acquisition. Over the past month, this agitation has taken an intense turn. On June 25, a 'Devanahalli Chalo (let's go to Devanahalli)' programme was organised, and various farmer, trade union, Dalit, student, and women's organisations came together to show solidarity with the farmers. The use of police force in dispersing the protesters only intensified the agitation under the aegis of Samyukta Horata Karnataka. Facing intense pressure, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called a meeting on July 4 and requested time to take a decision. He argued that there were legal hurdles in going back on land acquisition. This is an exercise in obfuscation since the power of the State government to withdraw from the land acquisition process is legally settled. Nevertheless, the farmers have heeded his request and are awaiting his decision. Before elaborating on this, it is necessary to mention that forcible acquisition, premised on the principle of eminent domain, is a colonial relic and has no place in a democracy. It is for this reason that informed consent found a place in the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. However, despite this enactment, there are many State expropriation laws that remain on the statute books. These are used indiscriminately to acquire people's lands. Despite several demands, the Karnataka government has shown no inclination in scrapping these laws. The lands of the Devanahalli farmers have been acquired under one such law — the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Act, 1966. To date, lakhs of acres of agricultural land have been acquired under this statute for establishing industrial areas and for allotting them to individual companies. There is overwhelming evidence that acres of acquired land are lying waste. The Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on the economic sector for the year ending March 2017 confirmed this. The disastrous nature of forcible acquisition stands exposed, yet the State government is yet to undertake a comprehensive review of the status of all acquired lands. The answer to the question of withdrawal from land acquisition proceedings can be found in the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Act. Section 4 allows the State government to exclude acquired land at any time it deems necessary. This flows from the settled legal position that the State can exercise its power of withdrawal from land acquisition unilaterally. Indeed, with regard to acquisition under the 1966 Act, the Karnataka High Court, in Thomas Patrao Since Deceased by his LR and Anr. vs. State of Karnataka, 2005, held that the State government can cancel land acquisition notifications before taking possession by virtue of its power under Section 21 of the Karnataka General Clauses Act, 1899. The unambiguous position is that the State government can withdraw the Devanahalli land from acquisition by cancelling the preliminary and final land acquisition notifications. Incidentally, this is a power that successive State governments have exercised. Acquisition of hundreds of acres of notified lands were withdrawn on various counts including farmers' resistance, so the Siddaramaiah government has no real reason to seek time. Instead, it must listen to the demand of the farmers and drop the land acquisition. Else, talk of democracy and social justice will remain hollow words. Clifton D' Rozario is a practicing advocate in the Karnataka High Court and the General Secretary of the All India Lawyers Association for Justice
New Indian Express
05-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
CM Siddaramaiah meets Devanahalli farmers, seeks 10 days to resolve issue
The Channarayapatna-Devanahalli Land Acquisition Resistance Struggle Committee, backed by Samyukta Horata Karnataka and a coalition of other groups, has been resisting the government's move to acquire 1,777 acres of land across 13 villages of Channarayapatna hobli. The protest hit headlines after police action against the 'Devanahalli Chalo' rally on June 25, which led to the protest at Freedom Park since June 27. The land acquisition process began about three years ago when the BJP government was in power. Then, the Congress had supported the farmers' protest but did nothing after coming to power two years ago. Farmer leaders have made it clear that they will not back down. 'No matter how many days pass, we will not give up our land to any corporate power,' asserted a farmer leader outside Vidhana Soudha. They have warned the government that if it fails to act by July 15, the protest will turn into a statewide agitation, with Samyukta Kisan Morcha and other national farmer associations joining in. Farmers and activists will tour the 13 affected villages, holding mass meetings and putting up signboards declaring their opposition to acquisition of their land. In a move to take the battle beyond agriculture, all supporting organizations will integrate the Devanahalli farmers' struggle into the July 9 nationwide workers' general strike, to galvanize public support.
The Hindu
27-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Police brutality against farmers condemned, land acquisition in Devanahalli opposed
Members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Centre of Indian trade Unions (CITU) and the All India Kisan Khet Mazdoor Sangathan (AIKKMS) have strongly condemned Wednesday's police brutality against farmers, leaders and activists during a peaceful protest led by the Samyukta Horata Karnataka at Devanahalli in Bengaluru Rural district opposing the forcible land acquisition by the State government. The members of CPI(M), CITU and AIKKMS under the banner of Samyukta Horata Karnataka staged a protest and gathered at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Chowk and also outside the Deputy Commissioner's office in the city and raised slogans against the State government for manipulating the laws to acquire land by force without the consent of farmers in Devanahalli taluk. CPI(M) district secretary K. Neela said that the then BJP government in the State had implemented the land reform policy introduced by the BJP-led Central government. However, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government which had opposed the 'anti-farmer policy' and came to power vowing to protect the interest of farmers by repealing it, is now hell-bent on enforcing the same policy, leaving the farming community in distress, she said. For the past 1,180 days, farmers from 13 villages from Devanahalli taluk have been protesting against the State government's attempt to acquire 1,770 acres of agricultural land under the pretext of industrial development. The agitators said that the State government's land acquisition move is a threat to the livelihood of hundreds of farmers who mainly depend on horticulture, vegetable cultivation and dairy farming. Activists M.B. Sajjan and Sharanabasappa Mamshetty said that the State government held three rounds of meetings with farmers and organizations in the name of industrial development just to pacify them before announcing its final decision on Wednesday. They accused the State government of prioritizing industrial interests over those of farmers. Condemning the cowardly act of the police in trying to suppress democratic rights of farmers to fight for their land and livelihood, AIKKMS district president Ganpat Rao Mane criticised the police for taking 52 protestors (leaders and activists) into preventive custody on Wednesday for supporting the agitation. The agitators demanded that the State government stop the land acquisition process and warned that they will intensify their agitation and continue to fight until the acquired land is returned to farmers.
The Hindu
26-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Protest in Ballari condemning arrest of farmers opposing land acquisition in Devanahalli
Activists of Samyukta Horata Karnataka staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office in Ballari on Thursday condemning the arrest of farmer leaders involved in the ongoing agitation against the forcible land acquisition in Devanahalli. A formal appeal addressed to the Chief Minister was also submitted to the Deputy Commissioner's office calling for the immediate release of the detained leaders and a halt to the land acquisition process. Addressing a gathering, leaders of Samyukta Horata Karnataka denounced the police action against farmers and activists who were peacefully protesting under their leadership in Devanahalli. The Ballari district committee of the organisation strongly criticised what it described as police brutality against those resisting the government's coercive takeover of fertile agricultural land. They said that farmers from 13 villages have been, for over 1,180 days, opposing the government's attempt to acquire 1,770 acres of their productive farmland for industrial development. The protesting farmers argued that their land supports robust dairy farming and cultivation of fruits and vegetables and that the acquisition threatened their livelihood and food security. They said that the land was under the shadow of 'land mafia', enabled by State policies. 'Despite holding three rounds of talks with farmers, the government recently announced its decision to proceed with acquisition. This is an anti-farmer move. We now feel that the government is actually serving land mafia at the cost of farmers,' an agitating farmer said. The protestors also pointed out the apparent political hypocrisy of the ruling Congress, which had earlier opposed a land reform policy introduced by the BJP-led Central government. 'Now, the same Congress has adopted that policy after assuming power, betraying the trust of farmers. The law in force prevents acquisition of agricultural lands without the consent of farmers. Yet, the State is using both force and legal manipulation to acquire land. This a grave betrayal of Karnataka's farming community,' district secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist) Satyababu said. The protestors declared that they will not stop their agitation until land is returned to farmers. 'This acquisition decision, which is set to push farmers onto the streets, must be revoked,' said district president of All India Kisan Khet Majdoor Sangathan Govind, calling for unconditional release of all arrested farmer leaders and demanding that the acquisition process be abandoned. Many leaders from different organizations, including Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (HAS) district president Sanganakallu Krishnappa, district secretary Lepakshi, Jagrutha Mahila Sanghatane leader Chandrakumari, All India Kisan Khet Majdoor Sangathan district secretary Guralli Raj, Dalit Sangharsh Samithi (Ambedkarite) State organiser H. Huseinappa, Democratic Youth Federation of India district leader Erriswamy and Bahujan Samaj Party State secretary Shakuntala Devi, participated in the protest.
