Daijiworld Media Network – Sullia (SP)

Sullia, Apr 13: On Tuesday April 12, farmers, angered by the government’s initiatives to take back encroached government land, laid siege to the taluk office here. They had come to the office, after taking a procession through the town’s streets.

The farmers barged into the taluk office by breaking the gates open, after seeing that it was locked. However, when the policemen tried to stop them from entering into the office at the main door of the office, there was jostling between the policemen and the farmers.

Addressing the protestors in front of the taluk office, advocate, M Venkappa Gowda, said that that the government, through the black law, had tried to drive farmers to streets.  He also blamed the Congress and JDS leaders for being in hibernation when the law was passed by the BJP government in the legislature. He said that no one is concerned about the plights of the agriculturists. He also demanded police permission to hold an parallel meeting of farmers who will be losing lands, in Sullia on April 16, at the same time the Chief Minister is holding a meeting here. He said that the farmers will take part in CM’s meeting, if he does not hold the meeting under the BJP flag.

JDS Dakshina Kannada unit president, M B Sadashiva, said that the officials were wrong in locking the gate. He said that the local MLA, Angara is himself in the list of affected people, and criticized him for not leading the protestors. He asked the farmers to register their protest through not paying taxes, as oral promises to make amendments to the law cannot be trusted.

Zilla panchayat member, K S Devaraj, Bharat Mundody, and a number of others addressed the farmers.

The protestors also got agitated after finding that the tahsildar was not in the office to receive their petition, as he had been on a visit to Kadaba. The tahsildar came to the office in the afternoon, apologized for the delay, and received their petition. He said that the government has been requested to make an exception for certain cases of encroachments as in Kodagu district.