Bengaluru: Amid pandemic, India is facing many challenges whether it may be on borders or within the border. One of it is the farmer Bills, it have increased the rage among farmers. The farmers in different states across the country are protesting against the recently passed Agriculture Bills. Meanwhile, a state-wide bandh is been observed in Karnataka on Monday by various farmers’ organisations, protesting the amendments to the APMC and land reforms acts made by the BS Yediyurappa government.
The bandh call has been supported by several pro-Kannada and other outfits besides the opposition Congress and the JD(S), who had opposed the amendment bills in the assembly. Hundreds of farmers affiliated to various associations and activists took to the streets against the anti-farmer legislations as the police forced struggled to ensure law and order across the state.
According to the farmers’ organisations, they will hold protests across the state during the bandh. Police said they have made elaborate security measures to see that no untoward incident occurred.
Bengaluru City Commissioner Kamal Pant said, “No permission was given for such kind of protest, we will deploy 12,000 civil police, 47 KSRP, 24 CAR platoons in Bengaluru”.
Many states have been reluctant to implement the Bill due to farmers agitations. The demonstrations were against two important amendments to the Karnataka Land Reforms Act and the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Act passed by the Karnataka Assembly despite strong objection by the opposition parties, mainly the Congress and JD(S). The amendment to the KLR Act lifts restrictions on purchasing agricultural land and enables any individual to purchase it.
The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 were passed by Parliament recently by voice vote despite objection from opposition parties.
Earlier, Harsimrat Badal resigned as union minister from Modi’s cabinet in protest of passed bill. According to Harsimrat, she held meetings with farmers and peasant organizations continuously for two months before the ordinance came.