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The Hindu
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
‘Leave us and our land alone': Why Devanahalli farmers have been protesting for over 1,180 days against Karnataka government
The story so far: For over 1,180 days, hundreds of farmers have been staging protests at Channarayapatna hobli in Devanahalli taluk in Bengaluru Rural district, to save over 1,700 acres of land from 'forceful' acquisition by the Karnataka government for industrial development to set up hi-tech Defense and Aerospace Park. On June 27, the protestors launched an indefinite day-and-night dharna, this time at Freedom Park in the IT city. This is the latest measure in a protracted struggle, that is possibly among the longest farmers' protest in the State. Why did the agitation begin? What are the demands of the farmers? What is the government's proposal? What set off the agitation? The Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) is seeking to acquire 1,777 acres of land spread across 13 villages in Devanahalli taluk for Phase II of the Haralur Industrial Area Development Project. In Phase I of the project, the board developed an industrial area spread over 1,282 acres, with two companies setting up production units. The previous Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government issued the preliminary notification for Phase II land acquisition on August 30, 2021. The final notification, to acquire 430 acres, was issued by the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in 2025, despite stuff opposition from farmers. The villages where land has been notified for acquisition are Palya, Haraluru, Polanahalli, Gokare Bacchenahalli, Nallur, Mallepura, Nallappanahalli, Cheemachanahalli, Mattabaralu, Muddenahalli, Channarayapatna, S. Tellohalli and Hyadala. Following this development, under the banner 'Channarayapatna Land Acquisition Protest Committe', farmers launched an indefinite dharna on April 4, 2022, demanding the State government to withdraw the notification and bring the proposed land acquisition process to a complete halt. Over the course of the three-year-long fight, many like-minded people and organisations have joined the cause. This includes progressive organisations like Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Hasiru Sene, Eddelu Karnataka and Samyukta Horata Karnataka. What are the fears of farmers? It is estimated that about 700-800 farmers' families will be affected by this project. Up to 475 acres are owned by farmers belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Agriculture has created employment for about 6,000 labourers in the area. The area identified for acquisition is a prominent hub for cultivation of food grains, vegetables, greens, and fruits such as grapes, pomegranates, and mango. Vast land patches in the notified area cna be seen growing roses and other flowers as well. Farmers also earn livelihood from dairy farming, sericulture and animal husbandry. For farmers, parting with their fertile agricultural land holds both practical and emotional consequences — a loss of livelihood as well as ancestral inheritence. They are also worried that hundreds of families would be displaced and entire villages wiped out. Most echo the sentiment that they are not interested in monetary compensation; they simply want the State government to drop the proposal. Do all farmers want to retain their land? A public opinion elicited by the KIADB had showed that 80% of farmers had refused to part with their land. However, people have alleged the role of real estate agents and middlemen in manufacturing dissent among the farmers and also persuading a few landowners to give up their land for the project. Some agents are also acting as middlemen between farmers and the KIADB, they say. While compensation for the acquired land will be determined by the Deputy Commissioner of the district, land losers will have the option to receive 10,771 sqft of developed land per acre, which they can use for commercial purposes. To apply for compensation, farmers have to furnish more than 20 documents but not many small landholders have the knowledge to secure them. This is where agents, who have contacts in government departments, are trying to come in, in exchange for a hefty commission. These allegations have been refuted by KIADB officials, who insist that the board has no history of entertaining real estate agents and middlemen. The compensation is directly given to the landowner, and the board follows a fair process, they say. What is the government's stand? The government has attempted to strike a balance between industrial growth and agricultural welfare, appealing to farmers to end their protest on several occasions. Large and Medium Industries Minister M.B. Patil sought to pacify farmers recently by proposing that 495 acres of land belonging to three villages –Mattabaralu, Channarayapatna and S. Tellohalli – in Channarayapatna hobli would be excluded from the acquisition. No land would be acquired from the hobli in future for industrial purposes, he had added. However, he stated that acquisition of the remaining 1,232 acres would proceed unchanged, covering 10 villages. Decrying the offer as a 'divide-and-rule strategy', farmers rejected it summarily and reiterated that the acquisition process for the entire parcel of 1,777 acres should be shelved. 'Devanahalli Chalo' After the talks fell through, on June 25, close to 42 organisations from across the State participated in a massive 'Devanahalli Chalo' protest, where they served a 24-hour ultimatum to the State government to drop the acquisition process in full. Failing this, they threatened to launch an intensified struggle. The march was attended by people from various walks of life, including actor Prakash Raj, experts like T.N. Prakash Kammaradi, academicians and social activists. However, during the public meeting, police detained over 200 farmers. This upset farm leaders who submitted a memorandum to CM Siddaramaiah, accusing the police of treating farmers, who were fighting for justice, as criminals. They also sought action against the police. 'The government has tried to suppress the protest of Devanahalli farmers by using excessive police force. We are shocked to see that all the leaders, including women, being dragged and detained in a barbaric manner,' the memorandum said. Such arrests had been made earlier, too. On August 15, 2022, 72 protesting farmers from Devanahalli were arrested and FIRs were registered against them. Why the long-drawn conflict? Landholders have accused the Congress government of going back on the promise made ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections. Mr. Siddaramaiah, then the Opposition leader, had met protestors and given assurance of putting a complete stop the acquisition process initiated by the BJP. Not only was the promise quickly forgotten, but in fact, the project gained momentum after the Congress government came to power, irking farmers more and deepening the conflict. The resistance later returned into spotlight when farmers decided to boycott the Lok Sabha elections on April 26, 2024, in 14 constituencies in south Karnataka. It was only then that several politicians, including Ministers and candidates, met the farmers to cajole them to cast their votes. While the farmers eventually voted after being assured that their grievances would be addressed, nothing has materialised. Multiple rounds of talks between the farmers and the government as well as political leaders, including Siddaramaiah, H.D. Kumaraswamy, Ministers M.B. Patil and K.H. Muniyappa, have ended in an impasse. Without a final resolution in sight, the tug-of-war between the State and landholders continues to drag on. CM Siddaramaiah is set to hold another meeting with the farmers on July 4.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
CM Siddaramaiah to meet farmers amid land acquisition row
BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday announced that he will hold a comprehensive meeting with the protesting farmers and leaders of Samyukta Horata Vedike on July 4 at 11 am, to address their demands and concerns over the proposed land acquisition by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB). Facing growing resistance from farmers, the state government has partially rolled back the plan, exempting 495 acres identified for acquisition in three villages of Channarayapatna hobli in Devanahalli taluk to establish the Defence and Aerospace Park. Earlier in the day, hundreds of farmers, Dalit groups, and activists from across Karnataka marched to the Chief Minister's official residence 'Kaveri', demanding an immediate halt to the acquisition of fertile agricultural land. Meeting a delegation of leaders, the CM assured that he would hold a meeting with them to resolve the issue on July 4. The protest follows the 'Devanahalli Chalo' rally held on Wednesday, where farmers and activists opposed the government's plan. The demonstration, which began with a peaceful pledge by residents of 13 villages, escalated by evening as police detained protesters and released them later. The farmers, who have been resisting displacement for over 1,100 days, took a collective vow in front of civil society, declaring, 'Even if we lose our lives, we will never sell this soil. No matter how much you trouble us, we will never allow this green land to be destroyed.'
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Unrest in hi-tech zone: Protests threaten to roil Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah's ambitions for rural Bengaluru
Bengaluru: The Siddaramaiah administration finds itself caught between the compulsion to give plots of land to tech multinationals in Devanahalli taluk near the international airport in Bengaluru and the raging farmer protests seeking to block land acquisition. The agitation has passed 1,150 days and is only intensifying by the day. The government had identified 1,777 acres for acquisition across 13 villages to build a high-tech industrial park, but the efforts have hit a roadblock with farmers raising a red flag. 'The close proximity of the proposed park to the airport and to the satellite ring road is what makes it the most sought-after site for global technology majors,' an official said, declining to be identified. The Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB), an arm of the government, buys plots from farmers and hands them over to investors with clear titles. 'That is one of the reasons why companies come to Karnataka. They just need to deal with the government, not landowners for their land needs unlike in states like West Bengal,' he added. Investors press for land in Devanahalli and Doddaballapur taluks in Bengaluru Rural district, considering their strategic location and an evolving tech manufacturing ecosystem. Devanahalli is also home to Foxconn's second largest factory outside of China, as well as the facilities of Airbus, Boeing and Rolls-Royce. The government is trying to push ahead with the development projects, which it hopes will create tens of thousands of jobs in the region, benefitting the locals. The information technology investment region and the defence and aerospace park as well as the upcoming tech ecosystem in the vicinity have morphed the place also into a haven for real estate developers, say officials. Big-Ticket Investments Officials leading the investment efforts are pitching plots in and around Devanahalli for big-ticket projects, highlighting the plusses the region holds. Karnataka competes fiercely for investments with the neighbouring Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, and the ruling Congress comes under attack every time the state loses out on a potential investment. Devanahalli is represented in the assembly by food minister KH Muniyappa, who along with industries minister MB Patil held a meeting with protestors on Tuesday and agreed to spare 495 acres of land in Channarayapatna hobli from acquisition. The climb-down has barely bought peace for the government. Farmers have also rejected the offer to return 10,500 sq ft of developed land per acre of acquisition. The agitation predates the Congress regime as the contentious industrial parks were planned by the previous BJP government. The protests began in April 2022 soon after the KIADB issued a preliminary notification to acquire land. South Indian actor Prakash Raj, who led the farmer march to the CM's residence on Wednesday, said Siddaramaiah had pledged support to their cause while in the opposition, but hastened the acquisition process after becoming the CM. As government agencies identify plots around the international airport suitable for industrial development, they are also facing quiet competition from real estate developers, some of whom are said to be chasing the same plots pitched to global investors, elbowing their way in as protests escalate. The CM has decided to meet the farmer leaders in Bengaluru on July 4 to find ways to end the stir as it is showing signs of going out of hand. The industries department, meanwhile, finds itself on the edge because it has already promised swathes of land in Devanahalli for global giants, but the same plots are now at the epicentre of protests.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Devanahalli farmers reject govt's proposal on land acquisition and set to embark on a broad-based struggle from today
The Karnataka government appears to be gripped by one more challenge as the 1,193-day protest by farmers of a few villages in Devanahalli taluk against land acquisition, which is said to be one of the longest farmers' protest in Karnataka, is now set to snowball into a State-wide struggle. This came even as Large and Medium Industries Minister M.B. Patil sought to pacify them by stating that acquisition in three villages would be dropped, which the protesters rejected. As many as 42 various organisations from the State are set to participate in the 'Devanahalli Chalo' protest on Wednesday, marking the launch of a broad-based and more intensified struggle against the Congress government, demanding a complete halt to the process of acquiring 1,777 acres of land by the KIADB in Channarayapatna of Devanahalli taluk for the proposed hi-tech Defence and Aerospace Park. Since 2022 These farmers, who have been protesting under the banner 'KIADB Land Acquisition Resistance Struggle Committee of Channarayapatna' since April 4, 2022, on Tuesday rejected the government's fresh proposal to exclude only 495 acres of land belonging to three villages in Channarayapatna hobli from the acquisition process. The farmers are demanding that the acquisition process for the entire parcel of 1,777 acres from eight villages should be shelved. As part of efforts to convince the farmers to end their protest, Mr. Patil held a meeting with local MLA and Minister K.H. Muniyappa in Bengaluru on Tuesday and announced that 495 acres of land belonging to three villages in Channarayapatna hobli have been excluded from acquisition for the proposed park. He further stated that it has also been decided not to acquire any land from this hobli in future for industrial purposes. In light of this decision, the Minister appealed to the farmers who were protesting against the acquisition to call off their agitation. Govt. stand He made it clear that acquisition of the remaining 1,232 acres will proceed unchanged, covering 10 villages — Palya, Haraluru, Polanahalli, Gokare Bachchenahalli, Nalluru, Mallepura, Nallappanahalli, Cheemachanahalli, Muddenahalli, and Hadayala. While compensation for the acquired land will be determined by the Deputy Commissioner of the district, land losers will have the option to receive 10,771 square feet of developed land per acre, which they can use for commercial purposes, the Minister said. 'We must strike a balance between industrial growth and agricultural welfare,' Mr. Patil said, while appealing to farmers to end their protest. However, farmers refused to accept this suggestion and insisted that the entire parcel of land should be excluded from acquisition. J.M. Veerasangaiah, State working president of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, which has expressed its support to the 'Devanahalli Chalo' protest as well as the broad-based struggle, accused the Congress government of going back on the promise made to the protesting farmers before Assembly polls. 'Several Congress leaders including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah (who was then the Opposition leader) had then promised to completely halt the land acquisition process that had been taken up by the erstwhile BJP regime. But now they are not sticking to their promise,' he told The Hindu. Hub of vegetables Pointing out that the land proposed for acquisition is a fertile one that has become a prominent hub for cultivation of vegetables, greens, and fruits, he wondered if it was scientifically right to take away such a fertile land from farmers. Tara Rao, governing council member of Eddelu Karnataka, a progressive organisation, too expressed concern over the alleged apathy of the government towards the plight of farmers. The groups that have offered support to the broad-based struggle include Samyukta Horata Karnataka, which is a co-ordination committee of various progressive organisations.
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Industrialists highlight key concerns to KIADB CEO in Bengaluru
BENGALURU: Industrialists from across Karnataka raised key concerns related to land, infrastructure, and industrial policy during an interactive meeting with Dr Mahesh M, CEO and Executive Member of the KIADB. The session was organised by the FKCCI here on Monday. The major concerns pointed out by industrialists were, requirement for fully-equipped industrial estates with Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs), power substations, streetlights, police stations, and restaurants, pointing out the difficulties industries face due to missing infrastructure and poor coordination among departments. Stressing the urgent need for improved infrastructure in industrial zones, FKCCI president MG Balakrishna said, 'There is a pressing need to ensure land availability, accelerate allotments, and expand industrial corridors into Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.' He also urged KIADB to implement the policy of reserving smaller plots of 5,000-10,000 sq ft for MSMEs, noting that execution has been lacking. Mahesh clarified that while infrastructure costs limit plot sizes, KIADB will ensure at least 20% of plots are 10,000 sq ft or above in upcoming layouts. Further addressing the concern over the composition of the Special Investment Region committees, he assured, 'We will raise the issue of increasing industry representation with the principal secretary and the minister for necessary amendments at the rule-making level.' Addressing a query on property taxation, Mahesh explained that the KIADB, now empowered to collect property tax through a recent amendment, will reinvest 70% of the collected amount back into the respective industrial areas through the Regional Development Authority (RDA).
