MYSURU: After a protest-filled start for the year, Karnataka farmers are all set for more action this month as farmer leader Rakesh Tikait, the newfound torchbearer of farmer protests across the country, will hold a mahapanchayat-like gathering in North Karnataka in the second half of February.
Tikait will be in the state to galvanise support for farmer protests, said president of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene, Badagalpura Nagendra, on Monday. State farmers will also go on a Vidhana Soudha Chalo rally during the budget session, asking the government to repeal the farm laws and cow slaughter bill, which was passed in the Council on Monday.
Over 50,000 farmers from each district will take part in the rally, demanding MSP for coffee, silk and other cash crops similar to what is in vogue in states like Kerala. MSP for these crops will not only help farmers, but also the government, he added. Besides protests, a South Indian farmers’ round table conference os planned in Bengaluru.