BENGALURU: To express solidarity with farmers who are protesting near Delhi, farmers in Karnataka will stage a protest demonstration in Bengaluru on Monday afternoon. The farmers’ associations are also planning a massive protest in Bengaluru from December 7 when the winter session of the state legislature starts.
State Organising Secretary of Karnataka Sugarcane Growers’ Associations, A Devaraj, said members of the Aikya Horata Samiti, which consists of farmers, dalit and workers’ organisations, will stage a symbolic protest near Mahatma Gandhi statue at Maurya Circle in Bengaluru on Monday.
Condemning the police action of using water cannons and tear gas on protesting farmers of Punjab and Haryana, Manju said the Samiti will continue to protest against anti-farmer policies.
Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha president Kodihalli Chandrashekar, who was in Delhi for three days to take part in the farmers’ protest, said they will organise a massive protest in Bengaluru on December 7.
“Around 10,000 farmers from across the state are expected to take part,” he said. They are also planning to continue the protest in Bengaluru when the winter session will be held from December 7 to 15, he added.
Farmers in Karnataka are opposing the Centre’s farm bills and the State Government’s move to table Bills amending the Karnataka Land Reforms Act and APMC Act that got stuck in the Legislative Council in the previous session.
Chandrashekar said the Centre must immediately call protesting farmers for talks and understand their concerns. The farms Bills are only intended to help corporate firms and not farmers, he contended. State Sugarcane Growers’ Association president Kurubur Shantakumar said the government’s priority must be to address farmers’ concerns, and not helping corporates.