29 organisations to launch campaign against Karnataka government

The BJP government is facing the heat with 29 organisations, including Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Dalit Sangarsha Samiti, and labour organisations, declaring that they would stage a joint struggle against the alleged dilution of land reforms, besides the “anti-labour” and “anti-farmer” pieces of legislation brought about by the government.

The struggle is to be launched on September 21 in Bengaluru in the form of a protest rally when the legislature session begins.

Announcing this at a press conference on Monday, leaders of the organisations, including Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers’ Association president Kurubur Shanthakumar, said these organisations, which have formed an “aikya horata samiti” (united struggle committee) would also hold a parallel session during the proposed legislature session.

He said farmers, Dalits, labourers, and members of progressive organisations would participate in the proposed struggle and parallel session. The 10-day parallel session is to be attended by famous personalities such as Yogendra Yadav and Devinder Sharma, he added.

He accused the BJP government in the State of subverting democratic principles by amending the Karnataka Land Reforms Act and the Agricultural Produce Market Committee Act through ordinances, without any discussion. He described some of the amendments to labour laws as anti-labour and maintained that the proposed changes to the Electricity Act were detrimental to the interests of farmers. Mr. Shanthakumar also described the BJP government as a “mafia” dispensation, and warned that the struggle would continue for a long time if the above changes were not withdrawn.

Academician and former chairman of Karnataka Agricultural Prices Commission Prakash Kammaradi alleged that the changes to the Karnataka Land Reforms Act had gone against the spirit of land reforms. He said the government had diluted the land reforms Act following pressure from the capitalist lobby. He described it as a death knell for farmers.