Movement will continue till objectives are achieved, says Hiremath

Activist S.R. Hiremath, along with Chamarasa Malipatil and Badagalpur Nagendra, addressing a media conference in Kalaburagi on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI

Condemning the State Government for not responding to the demand made by Janandolanagala Maha Maitri, a broad conglomeration of people’s movements, maitri convenor S.R. Hiremath has said that the agitation will continue till the objectives are achieved.

“The State Government has not fulfilled our demand, though farmers have been protesting against the Karnataka Land Reforms (Amendment) Act 1961, Karnataka Agricultural Produces Marketing Committee (APMC) Act 1966 and the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act 2020. The State Government continues to be unwilling to repeal these laws. The movement will continue till the objectives are achieved,” Mr. Hiremath told a media conference in Kalaburagi on Wednesday.

The press meet was also attended and addressed by honorary president of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha Chamarasa Malipatil, State president of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha Badagalpur Nagendra, State president of All India Democratic Youth Organisation Sharanappa Udbal and Jan Sangram Parishat leader Khaja Aslam.

The leaders were here as part of their march to Bengaluru which was flagged off at Basavakalyan in Bidar district a day before.

“Successive governments have failed to provide the people with a dignified life even 75 years after Independence. Drawing inspiration from the Purna Swaraj pledge taken at the historic session of the Indian National Congress on the banks of the Ravi on December 31, 1929, we have launched this movement,” Mr. Hiremath said.

The leaders also demanded legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) scheme.

Mr. Malipatil said, “The scheme being announced by the governments is an eye-wash. The governments purchase a little quantity of a few crops at MSP and force farmers to sell their crops at poor prices in the open market. We want a law which guarantees MSP for all crops and allows the government to purchase the entire crops produced by farmers at MSP when market prices fall below the MSP.”.

Mr. Hiremath said, “As part of the agitation, we are going to interact with people’s representatives, especially those from the ruling BJP, along our route to Bengaluru. We will ask them why they are not fulfilling our demand. At the end of the march, we will meet Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and ask him why his government is so keen on serving corporate companies instead of serving the people.”