India: KRRS farmers protest in different districts across Karnataka against amendments to land law

Since the time Karnataka government announced that it would bring amendments to the Karnataka Land Reforms Act-1961, thousands of farmers organized under the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, and Hasiru Sene (KRRS) are protesting against the government’s move throughout the state. On 20th June, Saturday, KRRS members carried out coordinated actions and demonstrations in many district and taluk administrative headquarters in Karnataka, calling upon the state government to withdraw the amendment.

KRRS members termed these amendments as an anti-farmer and pro-corporate move by the government. The farmers are worried that the law will facilitate realtors to grab more farmlands and will lead to landlessness. Farmers also alleged that amendment favoured the rich and the real estate agents. They said that the changes brought is not in the interest of the agrarian sector. The new changes to the Act will only help the rich and the corporate to buy more land. It will have socio-economic impacts in rural areas besides its effect on food sovereignty and security, said the members.

KRRS farmers staged protests in Belagavi, Mandya, Mysuru, Hassan, Raichur, Gadag, Chikkaballapura, Madikeri, Yadagiri, Bagalakote, Shivamogga, Chamarajanagar and many other taluk headquarters. The government should immediately withdraw the amendments, or else we will intensify our protest in the coming days, warned the members.

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