Karnataka's Somwarpet comes to standstill following farmers' bandh

MADIKERI: The call for bandh by the farmers across Somwarpet taluk received an optimistic reaction from the residents. The entire taluk came to a standstill on Tuesday and the citizens echoed their support to the farmers who are demanding title deeds for the C and D land. From Madapura to the border village of Kodlipet in the taluk, all businesses extended complete support to the farmers who are demanding a resolution to the ongoing C and D Land issue. The farmers across the taluk had called for a bandh alleging that the government was trying to take possession of their lands despite them living and farming on the C and D lands from decades. They alleged that notices in this regard were being issued by the forest department under Section 4. A massive protest was hosted at Somwarpet by the Raitha Horata Samithi, demanding that the government immediately resolve the issue. Bandh scene at Shanivarsanthe. Shops and other businesses did not open doors from morning and stayed shut till 6 pm. The movement of rented vehicles, including autos, had come to a standstill. The protesters allowed only vehicles carrying essential items such as milk and medicines. There was also little movement of people due to the bandh. We are toiling hard every day and providing food for the country. Our families have been farming on this land for decades and making a living. Now the government is adding our land to the forest. How can we live if our house and agricultural land are declared as forest? questioned the farmers. Raitha Horata Samiti President Chakravarthy Suresh said that the land that was cultivated in 1978 was classified as C and D land. But now they are planning to transfer this land to the Forest Department. The farmers' struggle committee has been fighting this issue for the past one year and has met the Chief Minister, the Revenue and Forest Ministers and the Chief Secretary to the government. A petition has also been submitted but to no avail, he said. Slogans were raised against the state government and the Forest Minister. Tahsildar Krishnamurthy, who was at the spot, said that the revenue department would respond to the farmers' problems. However, the farmers demanded the presence of the Deputy Commissioner. Following this, DC Venkat Raja visited the protestors during noon hours and assured to solve the problems. We have already filed a petition in the High Court regarding the C and D land issue. We will submit a factual report after getting information about the people who have been living and farming in Deemed Forest, C and D land for many decades. The scientific surveys conducted in our district regarding Deemed Forest have not been done in other districts so far. A joint survey will be conducted to resolve the C and D land problem in the coming days, he assured. He confirmed that the local revenue department, gram panchayat, people's representatives and farmer leaders will be informed during the survey.