Mangaluru: Farmers staged a protest against the government for forcing the farmers to commit suicide, in front of the DC Office here on August 4.
Prior to the protest, a rally was held from Ambedkar Circle Jyothi to the DC Office.
Addressing the protesters, the state president of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha Kodihalli Chandrashekar said that farmers are not committing suicide and suicide is not the right term to be used. “Instead, farmers are being murdered,” he said. He urged the police officers to inform the Deputy Commissioner to come and meet the farmers. “If the DC will not come within half an hour, we will enter inside the DC office and stage protest inside the DC’s chamber,” he warned.
He further said that some farmers consume poison without thinking of their family members while some farmers commit suicide by hanging themselves because the bank employees and officers go to their houses and threaten to take action on them for not paying back the loans, thereby pushing them to take extreme steps. He said, “If the bank officers come to the farmers house hereafter, they would be tied and served proper hospitality. Instead of trying to solve the problems of the farmers, the political leaders and the government officials are busy with their own work.” He also said that if the DC would not come to address them, they would forcefully enter inside the premises.
State Secretary of KRRS Hasiru Sene, Kumar Subrahmanya Shastri said, “We came from far away places to Mangaluru to protest. We are here to share our grievances but the DC is not here to listen to our plea. The DC is not ready to come here. He is on a visit to Kannur where the water pipeline has been damaged.” “Farmers issues are serious in the country and the DC, instead of meeting us and hearing our grievances has gone to see the leaking water pipeline. Is he a plumber?” he questioned.
President of Mangalore Bar Council and Legal Adviser of the farmers, S P Chengappa speaking on the occasion said that some may think of what the role of advocates is in a farmers protest. “But if today, there are engineers, lawyers, doctors in the city, then it is because of the sacrifice and hardwork of the farmers to give us education,” he said.
He further said that when a farmer commit suicide, the Union Agriculture Minister said that love affairs, dowry, impotency and family problems are the reasons for the suicides and not the loans. “What a statement from the union minister! Farmers are not involved in love affairs or dowry. It is the ministers and political leaders who are involved in love affairs. It is high time now to join hands with the farmers to protect them. Modi, before coming to power, assured to bring back black money from the Swiss banks and credit it to the account of every citizen, but it did not happen even after one year. Modi also promised to bring back the good days, “Ache Din”, but he is visiting the entire world to show that he is superior than any other former prime minister. He brought “ache din” to those who have helped him in the election campaign and those who spent for his hoardings.”
Chengappa also said that the PM spent crores of Rupees for Mann Ki Baat radio programme. “We do not want to hear his “Mann ki baat” but we want to hear Raithon ki Baat,” he added.
Later, the Deputy Commissioner arrived at the spot to listen to the grievances of the farmers. A memorandum was submitted to the DC by the state president of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha. After receiving the memorandum, DC Ibrahim assured to send the memorandum to the Chief Minister. “All the co-operative banks have been informed not to threaten farmers to pay the loans. We will surely take measures to solve the problems of farmers,” he said.
Dhanakeerthi Balipa, Vice President, DK, KRRS Hasiru Sene; Kumar Subrahmanya Shastri, State Secretary, KRRS Hasiru Sene; N Eshwar Bhatt, Badila, Secretary, (Pradhana Karyadarshi) DK, KRRS Hasiru Sene; Manohar Shetty, Committee Secretary, KRRS Hasiru Sene; Dharnappa Gowda, Zilla Vice President, KRRS Hasiru Sene; N K Idinappa, Nandawara, Koppala, Bantwal and Subrahmanya Bhat, Tumbe, Anekattu Virodhi Horatagara were also present.
