Aikya Horata to hold protest tomorrow against anti-farmers' laws

Bengaluru: Farmers from all the districts in the State will stage a protest here on Monday against the farm bill and the Karnataka government's plan to re-introduce amendments to Land Reforms Act.

The protests will start with a gathering at Maurya Hotel Circle from 11.30 am.

Aikya Horata, an association of various farmers, dalit, human rights, civic organisations stated, "India is seeing unprecedented protests against the central farm laws. The protests are necessitated because the new farm laws are a threat to the very survival of the poor farmers, farm- workers, urban and rural poor who are dependent on the public distribution system (PDS) and all consumers of food items."

"While on one hand the Central government is adamant on pushing its pro-corporate farm laws, on the other the Karnataka government is again planning to introduce amendments to the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, the APMC Act, Industrial Disputes Act and Factories Act. These amendments were defeated in the council last time and they also saw wide protests," the association added.

The association demands that the government should talk to farmers, workers, dalits and all marginalized sections and ask what is required instead of "pushing these unilateral changes."