Karnataka Bandh against 'anti-farmer, anti-worker and anti-Dalit-oppressed' policies

Image Courtesy:thehansindia.com

Karnataka farmers, workers have called for a state-wide bandh on September 28 to condemn the “anti-farmer, anti-worker and anti-Dalit-oppressed policies of Central and state governments.”

While farmers all over the country agitate against the three agriculture Bills forcefully passed by the Centre, Karnataka peasants fight an additional battle against the state amendments to the APMC and land reform Acts. To show their dissent, farmers, workers and Dalits intend to protest from 6 AM to 6 PM on Monday.

“All the people of Karnataka are requested to express their solidarity to it [bandh] by observing the bandh in every village, town and city in order to protect the livelihoods of the working population of the state,” said multiple marginalised organisations in a leaflet.

As per the document, the people fear the handing over of agricultural land to the rich. They alleged that Yediyurappa’s government is following the policy of “all land for the rich” instead of the “land for the tiller” policy. Other concerns to be raised during the bandh are the loss of farmers’ produce in the corporate network; corporate bondage; workers’ enslavement; privatisation of electricity; commercialisation of education and the imposition of Hindi.

“Instead of streamlining APMC, the existing minimum protections are being removed, and corporate markets are being allowed,” said the leaflet.

The organisations warned that these changes in policies would rob Dalits and the oppressed off of the few rights they have and contribute to the decline of the agriculture state of India.

Eager to have the oppressed voices heard, the organisers appealed to the citizens to join the bandh and unanimously condemn the “anti-farmer, anti-worker, anti-Dalit, anti-oppressed, anti-student and anti-youth policies.”