Protest by landless farmers

Landless farmers who have been cultivating forest lands in Khanapur taluk for livelihood since more than four decades have started facing fresh threats from the officials of the Forest Department, who have taken up tree plantation programme in these lands with a view to assert their ownership rights.

Farmers from various villages of the taluk staged a demonstration under the banner “Shetiheen Shetkari Sanghatana” in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office here on Monday, demanding that the Deputy Commissioner issue a direction to the Forest Department officials to stop harassing farmers immediately and regularise the encroached forest lands without further delay. The protest was supported by leaders belonging to various political parties, including BJP-Raith Morcha, and sitting and former members of Zilla Panchayat, Taluk Panchayat and Gram Panchayats of Khanapur taluk.

Sanjay Desai, who led the protest, told reporters that several landless farmers belonging to economically poor families had encroached forest lands in Khanapur taluk to earn their livelihood, as there were no industries or employment opportunities available in sectors other than agriculture. Khanapur taluk, which was part of the

Malenadu belt of Karnataka along the Western Ghats, had remained industrially backward and majority of the families depend on agriculture for living.

He said the farmers had encroached forest lands prior to 1975 and cultivating paddy and various other crops to support their family members. Now, the Forest Department personnel were frequenting these lands and planting trees in the agriculture fields without any prior intimation to the growers.

Mr.Desai said the government should protect the farmers instead of throwing them out of gear. He also said that the State government had not implemented the Centre’s decision on regularisation of forest lands under cultivation and submitted a copy of the government order to the DC office in support of his demand.