Peasants - Youth rally against Karnataka Government's Attitude towards Landless People

  

The Karnataka State Farmers' Association (KPRS) along with  Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) held a 'DC Office Chalo' protest on Tuesday, April 26 in front of the DC office, Mangalore. The protest rally was flagged off from the taluk panchayat and culminated in front of the  DC office gate.

 

Addressing the protesters, KPRS president K R Shriyan said that over the past one year the farmers had a tough time in running from pillar to post to get their land right documents.  They had applied in the taluk panchayat, zilla panchayat and Mangalore City Corporation, but no one had listened to their plea.  It was a well-known fact that for the past 15 years, neither Congress nor the BJP governments appeared to be interested in helping the farmers to get their land rights.

Shriyan drew everyone's attention to the fact that minister Krishna J Palemar had given 34 acres of land to builders for developing, but he did not even bother to give 5 cents of land to the poor Sitamakka from Talapadi. The BJP and Congress leaders did not even bother to listen to the poor people's pleas.

Further he  said that according to a government survey, there were more than 49,000 homeless and landless families and over 18,000  people did not have proper land documents. But he said according to independent enquiries  the number could be double. He also said that Yeddyurappa had encroached upon over 500 acres of land and distributed to his family, but he did not even bother to fulfil the people's demands. During election time, the leaders tend to give false promises with an eye on votes and then they forget everything. He said that DC has promised the agitators to give justice and said that the fight would continue until justice was received. He said his supporters would go to any length to get their land rights. he added.

DYFI district president Muneer Katipalla, speaking to the protesters, said "We have been very co-operative and waiting to get farmers' rights.  According to the constitution, poor people should get the land from the government for their livelihood, whereas our farmers and poor people are running from pillar to post to get their rights, and nothing has happened over the past 2 years," said he.

He demanded that the government give housing sites to the poor and urged the district administration to take immediate action and fulfil the demands of the farmers as well as landless people.  A hunger strike would be resorted to if the demands were not met, he warned, stressing that the fight would continute until the last breath.

District secretary Dayananda Shetty, city unit president Imtiaz,  city unit secretary Santoshh Kumar,  young women's wing president Pramila, district vice president Mohammed, district vice president Ashok Shetty and KPRS district secretary Yadav Shetty were also present.

(Source : Mangalorean.com)