The 1,198-day protest by farmers from 13 villages in Devanahalli taluk, demanding the withdrawal of the notification for the acquisition of 1,777 acres of farmland for the Aerospace Park, is a landmark struggle considering its seriousness, impact, and the attention it caught beyond Karnataka. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah described it as “historic” while announcing the decision to shelve the land acquisition process.

Though farmers have resisted land acquisition in several places in the State in the past, the resistance by Devananhalli farmers caught the attention mainly for their grit and endurance as they managed to carry on with their protest for a long duration.

Started by local farmers

In fact, it was a protest launched by a group of local farmers who had witnessed how the earlier land acquisition processes had reduced some of the landowners to landless labourers. Commitment to the cause and determination helped them to pull along for such a long time. This became a broad-based struggle later, with several progressive organisations expressing their support for the fight.

Observers feel that the Devanahalli struggle has gone a long way in creating awareness about the plight of land-losers, particularly as prominent personalities from various walks of life lent their moral support to it. The pressure had started mounting on the Karnataka government as civil society groups had petitioned the Congress high command, while national-level farmer leaders too had threatened to launch a protest similar to that of the 13-month-long stir held at the borders of New Delhi.

While Mr. Siddaramaiah eventually stood with farmers by announcing complete shelving of the land acquisition process, the struggle is expected to have an impact beyond Devanahalli. Some of the key issues raised, such as the need for a pragmatic approach to land acquisition and a land-use policy for industries to determine the extent of land required for different kinds of industries, among others, are expected to gain currency in the coming days. Those who were part of the struggle feel that a clear policy is the need of the hour, as there has to be a healthy balance between industrial development and agriculture, as industrialisation too is crucial for the State’s development.

What is ‘development’

Also, there is a view that the very concept of “development” should be redefined. This was echoed by farmer leader Chukki Nanjundaswamy, who argued that development cannot be achieved by excluding agriculture and farmers. “Development should be inclusive of farmers and agriculture,” she said, while addressing farmers after the government announced its decision to shelve the land acquisition process in Devanahalli.

Land acquisition elsewhere in the State, in future, will need special attention on the livelihood of land-losers as the Devanahalli protest and its impact has set a precedent.