Protesting against the order to convert C and D land of farmers into reserve forest, with the slogan ‘Namma Bhoomi Namma Hak’, thousands of farmers led by Raitha Horata Samiti’ and Kodagu District Farmers’ Association took out a massive protest march at Madikeri, recently and formed a human chain at General Thimayya circle and expressed their displeasure.
The farmers marched led by the President of the Raitha Horata Samiti, Suresh Chakraborty, and the District President of the Raitha Sangha, Manu Somaiah, started from Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa Circle and passed private bus stand, and proceeded to Gandhi Maidan. The city turned green with thousands of protesters, and vehicular traffic came to a standstill for more than an hour.
Addressing the meeting held at Gadhi Maidan, pro-farmer activist Sudhir Kumar Muroli of Sringeri said the struggle against the C and D land issue should not be limited to Kodagu district only but struggle should be extended to the all assembly constituencies of the state districts so that the problem can be taken to the state and central governments.
Speaking further he said that informed that the struggle should not be limited to the conversion of C and D class lands into reserve forests but withdrawing of Section 4 of the Forest Act, in which an attempt to convert C and D lands into reserved forests and added that against this background, he said that the struggle to be focused on withdrawing Section 4 also.
Speaking on the occasion Raitha Sangha Samiti Legal Adviser Deepak B.J. said that the C and D lands are identified unscientifically. This needs to be re-examined by conducting a joint survey by the Forest and Revenue Departments. He said that the problem started from 1977 and till now the problem did not come to the understanding of the farmers.
The source of the problem is the very irresponsible of handing over of uncultivated C and D land to the Forest Department only through the survey numbers of their respective villages without adequate identification in 1977. In 1994, he expressed regret that unscientific identification of C and D land was again carried out.
Former MLA MP Appachchu Ranjan said that there is a need to open the eyes of the government by forming a non-political struggle on the issue. Ishwara Khandre, who is the current Forest Minister, is an environmentalist, and during his tenure so far, he has issued an order not to keep wildlife products that cause problems in people’s lives, conduct a survey of trees in private lands and hand over C and D land to forest. On the occasion former MLA appealed to the farmer group to sendback whoever comes for survey C and D grade land in their villages.
BJP district president Napanda Ravi Kalappa, Congress district president Dharmaja Uthappa, youth JDS district president C L Vishwa, who participated in the farmers’ struggle, announced that they are in favour of the farmers and will give full support to the struggle.
Madikeri MLA Dr. Mantar Gowda, MLC Suja Kushalappa, former MLCs Veena Acchaiah, S G Medappa, Farmer Struggle Committee Convener V K Lokesh and Anil Baggana, farmers association leaders Dinesh K S, participated in the huge protest march and meeting. Mithun Haraga, Diwakara Kooti, prominent in various parties K.P. Chandrakala, Anitha Poovaiah, S.R. Bharat, NapandaMuthappa, Harappalli Ravindra, H.N. Shridhar, Kisan Morcha leaders of Rashtiç A, Jayaram, Somwarpet, Bhagamandal and leaders of Sampaje’s Farmer Struggle Hitraraksha Samithi were present on the occasion. The demands of the protester are as follows.
*Deems Forest Act made by Forest and Revenue Department without knowing the reality should be abandoned in the interest of farmers. The central and state governments should reject the Kasthurirangan report and follow the Kerala model so that the local residents are not disturbed. Uruuduve, Devarakadu, Gomala are lands reserved by our forefathers for the benefit of the village and it should not be brought under the forest department but should be brought under the village as before. Around 50, 53, 57 applications which have been pending for many years due to this unscientific forest act, the right deeds should be distributed to the farmers without any obstacles. Pending files that have been lying around for many years should be cleared as soon as possible. 94C should be distributed to the houses built by the poor, registered as before. Free power should be supplied to the 10 hp pump set or farmers. The protesters demanded that our right to live should not be taken away by the forest department in the conflict between man and animal.
