Mangalore: BJP leads massive rally against areca ban, threatens to bring down govt
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje / Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (BG)
Mangalore, Jan 2: Thousands descended on the streets on Thursday January 2 to participate in the protest rally from Ambedkar circle to DC's office, organized by BJP against the proposed ban on arecanut by the central government. The rally culminated with a protest meet in front of the DC's office, wherein BJP leaders condemned the government for considering a move that was against the interests of areca farmers.
Delivering the keynote address, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said earlier a famous writer had written a song on farners “Uluva Yogiya Nodalli” and today the central government has changed that song to “Aluva Yogiya Nodalli”. "Farmers are the backbone of our nation but this Congress-led UPA government is trying to stab the farmers by banning arecanut," he said.
"The central government has been trying to destroy the livelihood of farmers. It was only the then Vajpayee-led government that had done a lot for the welfare of farmers in the nation. Let the ministers of this land support the farmers and not just pass statements that you will resign if the ban is imposed. What is the use of ministers resigning after the ban is declared? Resign now and put pressure on the Government to stop the ban," he said.
"If it is true that the government is against the ban, then why has it withdrawn the team of lawyers from the farmers' side? Those lawyers should be appointed immediately and that is our prime message to the government through this protest," he added.
Warning the government of dire consequences, he said, "If the proposal to ban arecanut is not withdrawn, we will surely bring down the central government and also send CM Siddaramaiah back home. The government must encourage research on arecanut and the medicinal qualities of areca, and take back the affidavit submitted in support of the ban, only then can the ban be stopped."
"The then DVS-led state government had given loan waiver of nearly Rs 25,000 to every farmer who had lost minimum 5 to 10 percent of crops, and that also was through Campco. The Congress government has taken votes from farmers and backstabbed them," he said.
Addressing the protestors, former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda said, "This protest reminds me of the massive protest rally in the year 2003, where nearly 50,000 people had joined hands and walked all the way from Sampaje to Mangalore. That protest had touched the top level of the government and the then CM S M Krishna had personally called and spoken to me."
"Once again, the farmers have stood up for their rights and this time we will fight till the CM's chair is vacated by Siddaramaiah. Nearly 60% of the total produce of areca is grown in Karnataka and nearly 25,00,000 people are depending on areca crop for their livelihood. Looking at this figure, the CM should have stood in support of so many lacs of people," he said.
"We support ban gutka which contains harmful substances like nictonie and tobacco, but not arecanut, which has proved to have medicinal qualities. Earlier, low quality arecanut had been imported to our country from outside and with a view to control this, the then government had increased the import duty from 36% to 115%, thus putting a stop on such import," he added.
"Nearly 65 to 68 percent of the crops have been damaged due to disease and much more due to floods and various natural calamities and the total tax loss due to this for the government stands at Rs 628 crore, but the government has just released Rs 25 crore through horticulture department and they are boasting of it," he said.
"Though a medical study carried out by Prabhu at Chennai Medical Research Center states that arecanut has lots of medicinal properties, especially in curing mouth ulcer, fighting against cancer causing agents and so on, why is this report not submitted to the Supreme Court? Why can't the state governmnet take the initiative to submit it? Siddaramaiah is shameless, he should have submitted this report to the central government and convinced them in this regard and stood in support of the farmers, but he has not done that," he lashed out.
"Large quantities of arecanut are used in Gujarat and hence we had consulted Gujarat CM Narendra Modi and urged him not to ban areca in his state, and listening to the plea, he has promised to support the farmers and will not support the ban at any cost. He has further requested the Maharasthra governmnet also to support the farmers and not the ban," he added.
"Our request to the CM and the PM is that they must appoint a senior lawyer to fight against the ban before the next hearing, that is before January 6. Campco has appointed a team of experienced lawyers to fight the case, so when they can do it, why can't central or the state government take any responsibility?" DVS said.
"We all know that tobacco causes cancer, yet there is a tobacco development board to support tobacco growers. Hence a central arecanut development board should also be set up to encourage areca growers," he urged.
"If the government fails to take appropriate action, the state BJP will not allow the next state Assembly session to take place. We will fight from inside (the Assembly) and the farmers and their supporters will fight from the outside and protest," he warned.
Speaking on the occasion, Araga Jnanendra, state president of Raitha Morcha said, "Right from the year 1996, the areca farmers have been suffering. Gutka ban had been imposed then, but it was our areca crops that suffered, hence we had urged the government to remove harmful substances like nicotine and tobacco from gutka and not to ban betelnut. We have not played any political game when farmers have been in trouble, like what these people are doing. The arecanut is one crop which has given utmost dignity and life to the farmers."
He further said, "A 1300-page report has been produced before the Supreme Court in which nearly 700 pages are on the harmful effects of arecanut and how it can be banned. Indira Jaya Singh has been arguing in the Supreme Court that betelnut is consumed by poor people and that it is likely to harm their health, hence it must be banned. She is a government aided lawyer which clearly shows the hand of the central government behind the ban of arecanut.
"Union health minister Gulam Nabi Azad is directly involved in this, as a few companies have been supporting the ban, it is learnt. Not even a single letter or statement in support of the farmers has been officially released by Gulam nabi Azad or from his office," he added.
"Why are Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi or PM Manmohan Singh not considering amendments in the Constitution for the welfare of farmers if the ban is imposed, the way they promised amedments for the welfare of the homosexuals after Supreme Court banned them?" Jnanendra pointed out.
"The UPA government must take all possible steps to stop the ban, failing which the farmers will get united and bury the Congress party itself," he warned.
Leaders Prathap Simha Nayak, Sunil Kumar, Sulochana G K Bhat, Angara, Capt Ganesh Karnik, Monappa Bhandary, Rukmayya Poojary, Nagaraj Shetty, N Yogish Bhat, Krishna J Palemar, Prabhakar Bangera, Mallika Prasad, Koragappa Naik, Rithesh Shetty, Nemiraj Rai, Ganghadhar Gowda, Kumble Sundar Rao and others were present.
Udupi
Udupi: Ban on arecanut is like death sentence to the farmers – Sadananda Gowda
Inchara Udupi
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (EP)
Former Karnataka chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda inaugurated a four day rally from Hajmady to Byndoor under the aegis of BJP.
DVS, who spoke on the occasion, said that the union government has passed a death sentence on the farmers by banning arecanut in the entire country. Recent tests held at the research center of Chennai’s medical college have shown that the nut is good for health, he added.
"The union government is against the farmers and is sure to bear the consequences during the upcoming elections," he said.
He said that the rally will be held throughout Udupi district during the next four days.
BJP district president Thingale Vikramarjuna Hegde, women’s BJP district president Reshma Udaya Shetty, Karkal MLA Sunil Kumar, Vidhana parishat member Kota Srinivas Poojary, former MLAs Raghupathi Bhat, Lalaji R Mendon, district panchayat members Arun Shetty Padooru, Geethanjali Suvarna, Taluk panchayat members Sachin Naik, Kesari Yuvaraj, Sheela K Shetty and others participated in the rally.