BENGALURU: Farmers from villages around Bidadi have petitioned Governor Thawarchand Gehlot and Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, seeking permission for “mercy killing” if the government proceeds with acquiring their fertile agricultural land for the proposed Bidadi Township project.
The farmers, who have been opposing the proposed land acquisition, said that the loss of their agricultural holdings would take away their principal source of livelihood and leave hundreds of families facing an uncertain future. The memorandum was submitted by members of the Raitha Hitarakshana Samiti and residents of Bairamangala, Kanchugaranahalli and neighbouring villages.
In their representation, the farmers said the lands identified for acquisition are irrigated, fertile and multi-crop agricultural fields that have supported several generations. They said farming on these lands is not merely a source of income but is also linked to livestock rearing, children’s education and the overall economic survival of their families.
“Depriving a farmer of his land is equivalent to burying him alive”, the memorandum stated. The petitioners warned that losing their land would push farming families into unemployment, poverty and financial insecurity. They said they would rather face collective euthanasia than be forced into what they described as a “slow death” on the streets after losing their livelihood.
The farmers have demanded the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all preliminary and final land acquisition notifications issued in connection with the proposed township. They have also sought a policy preventing the acquisition of agricultural land without the express consent of the respective landowners. The protesters further urged the government to permanently protect fertile farmland and suggested that barren, non-agricultural or uncultivable land be considered for industrial and township development instead.
The dispute has also led to a prolonged protest at Bairamangala Circle. Farmers have reportedly been agitating at the site for 568 days and recently intensified their protest by launching an indefinite hunger strike. On Friday, tension reportedly developed when police detained several protesting farmers and women who had attempted to put up a tent and continue their hunger strike in the shade. The protesters were taken to different locations following the police action.
Objecting to the detentions, the farmers subsequently staged a dharna at the Police Bhavan. They demanded that the authorities address their concerns regarding the proposed land acquisition and alleged police action against the protesters. Bengaluru South Deputy Commissioner Yeshwanth V. Gurukar and Superintendent of Police Rohan Jagadeesh visited the protesting farmers and attempted to persuade them to withdraw their agitation. However, the protesters reportedly refused to call off their fast.
The farmers said that police personnel had used excessive force while detaining them. They also claimed that several women protesters were injured during the action. One woman was reportedly hospitalised after losing consciousness. The police action subsequently became another major point of contention between the authorities and the farmers, adding to the tension surrounding the land acquisition issue.
The agitation later drew the intervention of Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who visited the protesting farmers at the Police Bhavan. He reportedly persuaded the women protesters to withdraw their dharna and asked them to continue their agitation peacefully at Bairamangala. Minister Kumaraswamy assured the protesters that farmers should not be forced to surrender their agricultural land. He also criticised the reported police action and sought immediate action against personnel who are assaulting women protesters.
The Union minister gave the authorities two days to suspend the policemen who were involved in the incident and take action against those accused by the protesters of abusing or threatening them. Minister Kumaraswamy also warned that he would mobilise farmers and stage a protest on the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway if action was not taken. He said he was prepared to sit on the highway along with the farmers and claimed that as many as 50,000 people could be mobilised for the proposed agitation.
Compensation for the land has also become a major issue in the dispute, referring to the substantial increase in land values in the Bidadi region. The farmers, however, have primarily insisted that fertile agricultural land should not be acquired for the township project. They have maintained that development should be planned using barren or uncultivable land wherever possible so that agricultural production and the livelihood of farming families are protected.
The farmers’ memorandum to the Governor and Chief Minister represents an escalation of their opposition to the proposed acquisition. Their reference to “mercy killing” reflects the extreme distress expressed by the protesters over the possibility of losing their farmland. The protesters have called for protection of fertile agricultural land and a settlement that does not deprive farming families of their traditional source of livelihood.
