Karnataka: Farmers' bodies to unite under one banner finally, but can it make a difference?

A solid initiative is underway to unite all farmers of Karnataka under one banner to enable them to fight for their rights.

This comes after several experiments to bring together various factions of the Prof Nanjundaswamy-led Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS), which was a farmers’ force to reckon with in the state in the 80s, had failed.

Show of strength

This effort, known as the Karnataka Raitha Sanghagala Ekikarana (Unification of Karnataka Farmers’ Organisations), attempts to bring together all farmers under one umbrella. It plans to exhibit its new-found strength at the winter session of the Karnataka legislature, scheduled to be held from December 9 to 20.

"The plan is to seize Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi and urge the government to withdraw three contentious anti-farmers’ laws brought in by the previous BJP government," said Pachche Nanjundaswamy, son of Prof M D Nanjundaswamy, one of the leaders of this new unified Karnataka farmers' body.

Another leader of this united farmers' outfit is Darshan Puttannaiah, Melkote MLA and son of KRRS's top leader Puttannai.

Talking to The Federal, Puttannaiah said, “The challenges that prompted the farmers’ movement in the early 80s were quite different from the present given the changed global scenario. Unifying all the KRRS factions and mounting a united struggle is the only option for farmers to fight against the anti-farmers’ governments in the country."

Admitting that the Raitha Sangha, founded by Nanjundaswamy and others, has now been divided into several factions, he said there is a desperate need for all these unions to unite under a single banner.

"This will enable us to demonstrate the unity of farmers," pointed out Darshan Puttannaiah.

The show of strength at the Belagavi Legislature session is just to send a message that governments cannot take farmers for granted and the failure to respond would be detrimental to their political existence, said Darshan Puttannaiah.

Also read: Farmers suicides, agrarian crisis largely ignored in election season

Withdraw anti-farmer laws

To take a final call on unifying farmers organisations, leaders of various factions will assemble in Bengaluru on December 23 and decide on the future course of action. They will frame broad guidelines to take forward the farmers' movement to the next level.

One of the top-most agendas in the yet-to-be unified KRRS is to force the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka to withdraw three anti-farmer legislations introduced by the previous BJP government.

This is the Karnataka Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation and Development) (Amendment) Bill 2020, which is based on Centre’s Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, and sought to modify the APMC Law; the Karnataka Land Reforms (Second Amendment) Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.

Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced repealing the three contentious farm laws in 2021, BJP-ruled states like Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh implemented the same version of these laws in letter and spirit.

The question is whether laws passed by these state governments get automatically annulled once the Centre withdraws the same laws. According to Congress leader Ramesh Babu, who is an advocate, laws implemented by the state will not become invalid after the Centre’s decision. This is because these legislations are passed with the rules and norms of the particular state, he pointed out.

Farmers skeptical

This effort by top two farmer leaders to unite various factions of farmers' organisations has come as a ray of hope for the farming community in Karnataka, which is facing the worst-ever agrarian crisis in recent years. According to reports, over the past 15 months, around 1,500 farmers committed suicide in Karnataka due to financial distress, crop failures and mounting debt.

Though senior farmer leaders, who were part of the farmers’ movement in the 80s, are happy over the move to unite farmers in Karnataka, they remain skeptical. A farmer, who is leading a major section of sugarcane farmers, said he is unsure if this endeavour will be successful.

“There are over 150 splinter farmer groups. Whoever wears a green shawl claims himself to be the KRRS president now and identifies with one or the other political parties in power. They will not want to sacrifice their positions when Darshan Puttannaiah and others launch the Federations of Farmers," said the leader, who preferred to be anonymous.

Also read: Waqf properties row: JPC Chairman receives over 500 petitions from Karnataka farmers

Optimistic leaders

However, other leaders are optimistic.

Welcoming Darshan Puttannaiah and Pachche Nanjundaswamy's move, the state general secretary of the KRRS (Nanjundaswamy faction), KT Gangadhar, pointed out that agricultural policies that are formulated owing to global compulsions are quite detrimental to farmers’ interests.

“There is a systematic conspiracy by big multinational companies to take over agricultural land and make the future of farmers bleak. The challenges that prompted the farmers’ movement in the early 80s were quite different from the present in view of a changed global scenario. So, present-day leaders, who are more educated, can take forward the movement in a systematic manner," he said.

Environmentalist and farmers' rights activist and daughter of Prof Nanjundaswamy, Chukki Nanjundaswamy backed K T Gangadhar's view.

Both the leaders believe a united force of farmers’ organisations, which works like a Federation, can work to address the woes of farmers in Karnataka.