Justice Santosh Hegde backs Bidadi farmers, urges govt to scrap township plan

Bengaluru: Adding to the pressure on the DK Shivakumar govt over the proposed Bidadi township project, former Karnataka Lokayukta and retired Supreme Court judge Justice N Santosh Hegde on Thursday joined the farmers’ agitation, urging the state govt to scrap the project and warning that any decline in agriculture would have serious consequences for the country.Hegde, who earned national recognition for exposing Karnataka’s illegal mining scam during his tenure as Lokayukta, joined the agitation at Byramangala village, where the protest entered its 485th day. He interacted with farmers and heard their grievances over the proposed acquisition of agricultural land. “It is heartbreaking to see farmers sitting on the roads in protest. Agriculture is indispensable for the country’s progress.

No matter how advanced artificial intelligence becomes, it cannot feed people,” he said.Addressing the gathering, Hegde said development should not come at the cost of agriculture and questioned the rationale behind acquiring fertile farmland. “Development is necessary, but agriculture must survive for development to be sustainable. If those in power fail to understand the hardships of farmers, how can they govern? Is it right to take away farmers’ land and expect them to find alternative livelihoods? Why should we elect representatives who fail to protect farmers?” he asked.

He also criticised the conversion of lakes in urban areas for construction and said govts must exercise greater prudence while pursuing development projects. Assuring the protesters of his continued support, Hegde said he would stand with them for as long as possible. During his visit, he wrote a letter to the state govt from the protest site, urging it not to proceed with the forcible acquisition of agricultural land for the proposed township.The Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers’ Association also extended its support to the agitation. In a dramatic show of defiance, more than 100 protesters, including women, pricked their fingers with syringe needles and splashed their blood on a banner that read, “We can give our blood, but not our land.”The protesters said the symbolic act reflected their determination to protect their farmland from acquisition.

“We are ready to give our blood if the govt wants it. But we cannot give our land. To convey this message to the govt, we held a symbolic protest by splashing our blood on the banner,” said H G Prakash, a member of the agitation.The protesters are demanding that the state govt withdraw the proposed Bidadi township project, alleging it would adversely affect farmers and permanently reduce agricultural land in the region.Hegde served as Karnataka Lokayukta from 2006 to 2011 after a stint as a Supreme Court judge and former Solicitor General of India. Widely respected for his anti-corruption work and advocacy of transparency and accountability in public life. At the age of 86, he continues to intervene on issues of governance and public interest after retirement.