BENGALURU: Members of farmers’ associations and those supporting their agitation against the amendment to the Karnataka Land Reforms Act 2020, on Monday took to social media to raise a twitterstorm, urging Governor Vajubhai Vala not to sign the amendment to the Act.
“The campaign got a very good response and helped reach out to a large number of people,” said Naveen S, member of Aikya Horata Samiti and Nammoora Bhoomi Namagirali, a campaign by farmers and like-minded people against the Karnataka Land Reforms Act. With over 2,571 tweets, #GovernorDontSignKLRA2020 was trending on Twitter for nearly 90 minutes on Monday evening, he said.
Many of those who joined the online campaign urged the State government to talk to farmers and not to make laws for the “privileged”. The amendment, they said, will be detrimental to small and rain-fed farmers. “Implementation of the draconian Karnataka Land Reforms (Amendment) Act 2020 will be a death knell to the farmers of Karnataka. By this, corporates will amass agricultural lands and use them for commercial purposes. So, Hon’ble #GovernorDontSignKLRA2020,” stated @AjayByrathi. “Farming is not just cultivation of crops, it is India’s heritage and future,” stated Harshitha Gowda.
In a letter to the Governor, Aikya Horata Samiti and Nammoora Bhoomi Namagirali urged him reject the amendments to the Acts. Despite apprehensions expressed by farmers and protests across the state, the government passed amendments to the Land Reforms Act and APMC Act in legislature and sent them to the Governor, they said.
The members also claimed that the governor had assured them on December 10 that he would not sign the amendments without holding discussions with them, and should send them back to the state government. Farmers’ associations also plan to continue their agitation against the amendments that allow non-agriculturists to purchase agricultural lands. The State Government, however, has claimed that the amendments will help the farm sector.