The Karnataka bandh call given by farmers’ and Kannada organisations opposing the recent farm bills received good response in Kalaburagi, Koppal, Hosapete and other cities and towns across Kalyana Karnataka region on Monday.
Buses operated by North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation remained in depots and bus stands as the activists associated with different organisations took to the streets and blocked major roads. In most of the towns and cities, the trading units at the APMC remained closed and the vehicular movement was relatively thin. Only some autorickshaws and private vehicles were seen on the roads. Government offices and establishments of essential services such as hospitals functioned as usual with diminished crowed.
In Kalaburagi, activists belonging to Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha, Raitha Krishi Karmikara Sanghatane, Akhil Bharat Kisan Sabha, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Hasiru Sene, Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist), Welfare Party of India and Karnataka Nava Nirmana Sene were found protesting in different parts of the city. Leaders of the Congress also participated in the agitations in some places. Holing banners and placards and raising slogans against the Union and State governments, the activists took out a protest march from APMC market yard to Jagat Circle where they held a public meeting.
“The recent farm bills are the continuation of BJP’s anti-farmer and pro-corporate policies that it has been implementing ever since it assumed power. These policies would impoverish the farming community by deepening the agrarian crisis. The very purpose of the bills is to help a few corporate giants to make more profit at the cost of the vast majority of the farmers. We will not rest till the governments step back from implementing these policies,” Maruti Manpade, a leader of Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha, said in the public meeting in Kalaburagi.
The bandh was almost complete at Hosapete in Ballari district with the support of the conglomeration of 22 organisations representing different sections including farmers, dalits, pro-Kannada and left wing. Most of the business activities came to a standstill as the people voluntarily downed the shutters of their establishments. The agitating activists targeted Forest Minister Anand Singh and Health Minister B. Sriramulu, who hailed from the district, for not raising their voices against the “anti-farmer policies” of the State government.
In Koppal, protesting activists burnt some tyres outside the bus stand to register their opposition to the “anti-farmer” bills. The protesters on bikes were found convincing the shopkeepers to close their business establishments for the cause.
The bandh call revoked mixed response in Bidar as most of the business establishments, except those in APMC, functioned as usual.
