Thousands of farmers on hundreds of tractors drove through the major streets in Kalaburagi on the 72nd Republic Day on Tuesday opposing the recent farm laws enacted by the Union government.
Prakash Kammardi, former chairman of Karnataka Agricultural Price Commission, flagged off the people’s parade, as it was called, which was part of the nation-wide rally called by farmers agitating at the Delhi border opposing the three farm laws recently enacted by the Union government.
Decorated with green flags and banners, over 300 tractors carrying the farmers participated in the parade. Farmers wore green shawls and turbans and raised slogans against the Union and State governments and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. With the Negilayogi song written by Kuvempu upholding the dignity of labour and the importance of farmers being played in the background, farmers in different groups sang several folk songs related to agriculture, while beating traditional drums throughout the parade.
The parade began from Humnabad Road Circle on the Ring Road and passed through the busy market area and Jagat Circle to reach the premises of the district administrative complex where a public meeting was held. Traffic movement was disrupted for a few hours along the parade route as the slow-moving tractors occupied the entire stretch. A heavy police force was deployed to ensure that the parade was peaceful.
“The amendments to the farm laws, including the APMC Act, Essential Commodities Act and Land Reforms Act, were meant for safeguarding the interests of big capitalists and not farmers. They would adversely affect not just the farming community but the entire population of the country. Despite the stiff and consistent opposition throughout the country, the BJP-led Union government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are bent on implementing the farm laws to serve their masters sacrificing people’s interests. The governments should immediately repeal the anti-people laws instead of testing the patience of the agitating farmers,” B.R. Patil, a Congress leader and former MLA, said, addressing the parade at the district administrative complex.
Sharanabasappa Mamshetty, Bheemashankar Madiyal, S.M. Sharma, Sunil Manpade, Sharanu Bhusanur, K. Neela, S.R. Kollur, Umapathi Patil and Congress MLAs Ajay Singh and Kanneez Fatima and others participated in the parade.
