The Janandolana Mahamaitri Jatha launched in Basavakalyan by a federation of various progressive and farmers organisations seeking repeal of amended laws and legal support to Minimum Support Price and guarantee procurement reached Dharwad on Tuesday.
The jatha, which will culminate in Bengaluru, was given a grand welcome at Kadapa Maidan in Dharwad, where various leaders addressed the gathering.
Addressing the gathering, president of Citizens for Democracy and anti-graft crusader S.R. Hiremath said that anti-people, anti-democratic and authoritarian forces have indulged in anti-social and anti-constitutional activities, including poisoning social harmony. These forces are destroying social co-existence, endangering unity and integrity of the nation, instigating communal hatred and violence, he said.
Mr. Hiremath said that these forces are working against the basic values of the Constitution. Due to these forces and the systematic attack on democratic institutions, values inherited from freedom fighters and the framers of the Constitution such as peaceful co-existence, social harmony and non-violence are in danger today, he said.
Emphasising that it was the not a time to remain silent, he appealed to people to break their silence and strengthen the jatha which has been organised to fight openly against anti-religious, anti-people, anti-farmers and anti-women forces.
Mr. Hiremath said that despite opposition from farmers and various organisations, the State Government has not yet repealed the amendments and the new law. While the Centre had bowed down before farmers and repealed the farm laws, the State Government is yet to act on the demand of the farmers, he said.
He said that the Samyukta Horata Samiti has been agitating against the State Government and the jatha is aimed at sensitising the different sections of society about the evil consequences of the amendments and the law.
