Why farmers of Malnad region of Karnataka want a separate state

After three decades, the cry for a separate state is ringing out again in the hills of Karnataka.

From Monday (October 21), farmers of the Western Ghats districts of the state have threatened to start an indefinite protest in Sagar, which was also the epicentre of the last such agitation in 1996-97, and which tells the story of the loss of homes and livelihoods of some 25,000 people, thanks to the building of “temples of modern India” — dams — over seven decades.

Homes, livelihoods gone

While hydroelectric power projects such as Sharavati, Bhadra, Savehaklu, Chakra, and Varahi have lit up homes across Karnataka, these came at the cost of livelihoods of several agricultural communities in the Malnad region of the Ghats, such as groundnut growers, coffee growers, and other farmers.

These people lost their homes and were displaced from their land, but received no compensation or rehabilitation from the government. Even though they settled down in other parts of the land on their own strength, now they are worried that they will be displaced once again with the area being declared forest land.

Also read: Why this move by Tamil Nadu could further cripple fragile Western Ghats

Displaced once, wary now

The Hirebhaskara dam was the first of the reservoirs to be built in the hilly region of the state — in the Sharavati valley in 1940. Since then, more than 10 dams have been built within a 100-km radius in the three districts of Shimoga, Chikkamagaluru, and Uttara Kannada. These displaced thousands of people who got no relief or rehabilitation.

But more recently, in 2011-12, about 2 lakh acres of revenue land in Shimoga district were indexed as forest land. At least 1.5 lakh acres of that land happens to be cultivation area. These are also the areas where the victims of the dam projects settled down in subsequent years.

Farmers’ demands

Yet, 90,000 applications submitted under the Forest Rights Act, seeking compensatory land allotment, have been dismissed outright, bringing most cultivators of the entire hilly region on the street overnight, explained TN Srinivas, who has been at the forefront of the struggle. Talking to The Federal Karnataka, he said the hill farmers have faced continuous oppression for the past 60 years.

Now, the farmers have put forward 14 demands, including that title deeds be given to the various project victims, forest rights applications be re-examined, and Shimoga district be considered a special case and land rights be sanctioned. They also want KPC land to be returned to the heirs and civic facilities provided to the Sharavati victims’ villages, among other things.

Also read: Task force to clear encroachments, illegal resorts in forests and Western Ghats

Indefinite satyagraha

The Shimoga District Farmers’ Association established by H Ganapatiyappa and various other organisations, including the United Forum of Flood Victims and Land-Deprived, have called for an indefinite sit-in satyagraha from Monday.

“This is our final battle to save the lives who inhabit our hill territories. We want a separate state status under Article 6 of the Constitution. Successive governments have carried out human rights violations and injustices on the hill tribes. People’s right to life has been suppressed in the name of schemes and laws,” said Srinivas.

After three decades

Three decades ago, too, the people of the region had staged a massive protest in Sagar town, when the government began surveying the nearby areas for mining in 1996-97.

Magsaysay awardee KV Subbanna, who had spoken at a protest meeting at that time, said the series of hardships of the people of the hills continues. Governments are blind; if they can earn profit, they clear mining and hydroelectric projects at the expense of local people, he added.

(This story was originally published in The Federal Karnataka)