In response to the call for nationwide ‘chakka jam’ given by farmers protesting in New Delhi, members of various farmers’ and progressive organisations staged rasta roko on national highways in the districts of Haveri, Gadag, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, and Dharwad on Saturday.
The protesters blocked roads, staged dharna, and condemned what they termed as the apathetic attitude of the Centre. Consequent to the rasta roko on various road stretches, traffic was affected ranging from several minutes to few hours at different protest venues.
At Yarikoppa, farmers under the aegis of Raitha Karmikara Sanghatane and Samyukta Horata Vedike blocked the Hubballi-Dharwad bypass road of NH 4 for three hours.
Lambasting the Centre, district secretary of SUCI(C) Ramanjanappa Aldalli said the three farm laws are detrimental for the progress of farm sector. The implementation of the laws would mean threat to food security and farmers becoming slaves of crony capitalists, he said.
‘Corporate farming’
On the pretext of doubling farm income, the Union government was bent on snatching farmlands and introducing corporate farming, he alleged. Taking exception to the cases booked on protesting farmers, he said the Centre should immediately withdraw them and return all their vehicles.
At Narendra toll-gate, a group of farmers led by Gangadhar Patil Kulkarni staged rasta roko for one-and-a-half hour.
On NH 218 (Vijayapura Road), near Malaprabha Right Bund Canal, farmers staged another protest under the aegis of Kalasa Banduri Horata Samanvaya Samiti and other farmers’ organisations.
Similar protests were reported from the districts of Belagavi, Haveri, Gadag, and other places.
