T Yashavantha
THE farmers’ struggle against forced land acquisition in the 13 villages of Channarayapatna Hobli, Devanahalli Taluk, in Bangalore Rural district, has ended in victory after 1,198 days of continuous protest since April 4, 2022.
On July 15, 2025, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah met with leaders from the Channarayapatna Anti-Land Acquisition Struggle Committee and Samyukta Horata Karnataka, and agreed to drop the forced acquisition of 1,777 acres of farmland.
The acquisition was being carried out under the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development (KIAD) Act of 1966. This draconian law empowers the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB)—which has increasingly functioned as a real estate facilitator in the neoliberal era—to use coercive, unjust, and authoritarian methods to dispossess farmers of their land, denying them democratic rights and adequate legal protections.
There are 13 notified villages in a 5 km periphery. 1,300 acres of land along the boundaries of these villages were already acquired in 2018-19 for the Aerospace and Defence Park (Phase 2). Including earlier acquisitions for the Phase 1 of this Park, for the Bangalore International Airport, and the Aerospace SEZ, this Hobli has already lost 6,000 acres. Habitable areas of the villages are rapidly shrinking.
In 2022, the then-BJP-led state government issued a preliminary notification for yet another round of acquisition. Most of the targeted farmers had already lost land in previous rounds or had witnessed the devastation faced by friends, relatives, and neighbours – many of whom were rendered bankrupt after losing their land which is their primary source of livelihood.
At that time, the Congress party – then in opposition – had promised to withdraw the notification if it came to power in the 2023 state election. However, after forming the government, it not only reneged on its promise but accelerated the process by issuing the final acquisition notification.
The lands under threat are fertile and highly productive. Local farmers grow food grains, vegetables, grapes, mangoes, and also engage in cattle rearing, sericulture, and floriculture –forming a diversified and sustainable rural economy.
Determined to resist the acquisition of their land, the affected farmers formed the Channarayapatna Anti-Land Acquisition Struggle Committee and launched an indefinite protest in front of the revenue sub-office in Hobli. They also sought the support of the AIKS-affiliated Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS), which has played a pivotal role in the movement since the beginning.
KPRS state president at the time, the late G C Bayya Reddy, laid the foundation for the movement and provided vital leadership until his untimely death on January 4, 2025.
The leadership gap was overcome with the active and militant support of Samyukta Horata Karnataka (SHK), which helped broaden the struggle’s reach and deepen its mass base. The movement gained national prominence with the involvement of SHK's constituent organisations, including AIKS, CITU, AIAWU, AIDWA, various groups of the KRRS led by Badagalapura Nagendra, HR Basavarajappa, and Chukki Nanjundaswamy, as well as the Joint Committee of Trade Unions, and organisations of dalits, youth, women, students, and others.
In support of the farmers’ resistance in Channarayapatna Hobli, the Samyukta Horata Karnataka (SHK) called for a Devanahalli Chalo–Jail Bharo protest on June 25, 2025, following a resolution adopted at the state-level Janagraha Samavesha (People’s Demand Convention) earlier that month. This convention had sharply questioned the moral legitimacy of the state government’s Sadhana Samavesha (Success Convention). The call to protest received unprecedented support across Karnataka. Farmers, workers, dalits, women, students, and youth gathered in large numbers, undeterred by police obstruction. Prominent film actor and activist Prakash Raj also joined the protest.
Despite the peaceful nature of the protest, police – who had refused to grant permission – responded with unprovoked and excessive force, dragging and violently arresting hundreds of protesters as the day progressed. In a powerful act of defiance, all arrested leaders and protesters refused conditional release, insisting either on being jailed or on the cancellation of the forced land acquisition.
Facing mounting public pressure, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah invited movement leaders for talks on July 4. In the lead-up, protesters launched an indefinite day-and-night sit-in in Bengaluru, replacing the Jail Bharo call to maintain momentum and intensify the pressure on the state government.
The protest drew widespread solidarity. Leaders from across Karnataka’s people’s movements addressed the crowds, including KPRS general secretary T Yashavantha, president U Basavaraja, AIAWU state secretary Chandrappa Hoskera, president M Puttamadu, and CITU leaders S Varalakshmi and Meenakshi Sundaram. They were joined by CPI(M) Karnataka state secretary K Prakash, veteran activists such as Noor Sridhar, and grassroots leaders from Bangalore Rural district including Prabha N Belavangala, Chandra Tejaswi, Narasimhamurthy, and Harindra.
The gathering was also addressed by Professor Prakash Kammardi, former chairperson of the Karnataka Agricultural Price Commission, and retired Supreme Court Justice V Gopalagowda.
From the national platform of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, several senior leaders traveled to Bengaluru to express solidarity. These included AIKS general secretary Vijoo Krishnan, AIAWU general secretary B Venkat, Rakesh Tikait, Darshan Pal, Sunilam, and Yudhvir Singh. They warned the state government that the struggle would expand nationwide if the farmers’ legitimate and legal demands were not met.
Amid this escalating pressure, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held discussions with movement leaders on July 4 and requested 10 days’ time to resolve the issue. However, during this period, some local leaders, in collusion with ministers, attempted to sow division among the farmers. They falsely claimed a section of farmers was willing to give up their land, parading individuals who were later exposed as real estate agents, not villagers or genuine farmers. This attempted sabotage was immediately and widely denounced.
Finally, on July 15, 2025, in a decisive meeting with the struggle committee, Siddaramaiah announced the withdrawal of all land acquisition notifications – marking a historic victory for the farmers of Channarayapatna after 1,198 days of struggle.
This win was hard-fought. The movement endured police repression, fabricated charges, and divide-and-rule tactics, yet emerged triumphant through unwavering unity, and mass mobilisation.
This victorious struggle waged by movements across the ideological streams – green, blue, and red – has written a new chapter in the history of movements in Karnataka. It has created great hope among the exploited people.
The consistent and active support of the Left parties, including the CPI(M), at every stage of the struggle, played a crucial role in this historic achievement.
UNIQUE VICTORY
This victory stands out for its many unique features and can serve as a model and inspiration for other farmers’ movements resisting land acquisition across the country.
Spanning more than three years, it is perhaps the longest and most determined struggle by peasants in recent history. Unlike most land acquisition protests, which often focus on negotiating compensation or specific conditions, the farmers of Channarayapatna unanimously rejected the very idea of giving up their land. They refused to engage in any discussion about terms or compensation, holding firm in their decision. Neither threats nor inducements could break their resolve or unity.
This unyielding resistance stemmed not only from the fertility and productivity of the land, but also from a deep awareness – shaped by past experiences – of the State’s failure to honour promises made during previous acquisitions in the region and elsewhere in Karnataka.
A key factor behind the success of this struggle was the extraordinary unity and solidarity among peasant organisations, trade unions, and mass movements of students, youth, women, and dalits. Their collective strength and shared commitment turned a local farmers' resistance into a broad-based people’s movement – a historic victory etched into Karnataka’s political and social landscape.
