For over 1,180 days, hundreds of farmers have been protesting at Channarayapatna hobli in Devanahalli taluk in Bengaluru Rural district. They are opposing the forceful acquisition of over 1,700 acres of their fertile agricultural land by the Karnataka government. The government wants to acquire this land with the declared purpose of setting up a hi-tech Defence and Aerospace Park, which it claims is vital for the industrial development of the state.
From 27 June to 4 July, the agitating farmers held a continuous day-and-night dharna at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, to highlight their demands. They were supported by several organisations of workers, artists, cultural workers, youth, and women. Farmer leaders from across the country active in the 2020-21 protests at Delhi’s borders also joined the protest in solidarity with the Devanahalli farmers’ demands.
Indian and foreign capitalists as well as major real estate companies have, for long, set their sights on acquiring the fertile agricultural lands around Bengaluru, for setting up industrial complexes as well as residential complexes, which will fetch them enormous profits. Every government in Karnataka, since 1991, has enthusiastically adopted the program of privatisation of public assets and acquisition of rural land, handing them over to Indian and foreign tech companies and real estate companies, at throwaway prices. Whether these have been governments headed by the Congress party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), or Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)), all have systematically been implementing this program.
In August 2021, under the then BJP-led state government, the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) issued preliminary notices to acquire 1,777 acres of land from farmers in thirteen villages of Channarayapatna hobli in Devanahalli taluk, near Bengaluru, for developing the Aerospace Industrial Area.
Since then, farmers from thirteen villages in the area have been fighting against the land acquisition.
The Congress Party which was then in opposition, promised to cancel the land acquisition when it came to power. However, the present Congress Party-led government in the state, following the “Global Investors Meet” (GIM) in Bengaluru in February 2025, issued a final notification for the land acquisition in April, betraying its promise to the farmers. The government has been justifying the land acquisition in Devanahalli, with the argument that if the land is not provided where the capitalist investors are demanding, then industrial development and job creation will be hindered.
Faced with the prolonged struggle of the farmers of Devanahalli, the government announced on 24 June that it would drop acquisition of 500 acres of the land but would continue with the rest. This was unacceptable to the agitating framers, who organised a ‘Devanahalli Chalo’ protest on 25 June demanding complete withdrawal of the land acquisition. The police forcibly detained the protestors and transported them to Bengaluru.
In an attempt to quell the agitation, the Chief Minister met with the protesting farmers on 4 July. However, the government has not given any assurance that the land acquisition orders would be withdrawn. Instead, it is trying to give various legal arguments to justify ‘hurdles in denotifying’ the land acquisition. However, several activists, including retired jurists, have exposed the false excuses of the government. They have exposed the role of the KIADB in facilitating the loot of the land and resources of the people of the state, in the service of the Indian and foreign capitalists.
Activists of organisations supporting the farmers have also exposed the claims of ‘job creation’ to justify this land acquisition. They have pointed out that the 13 villages affected provide sustenance and livelihood to more than 6000 households, including thousands of men and women. The proposed Haraluru Industrial Area, for which the land is to be acquired, will provide only a few hundred highly skilled technical jobs. It will result in large-scale destruction of livelihood for the local people. The promises of ‘modern housing’ also ring hollow for the farmers. They have seen the bitter life-experience of farmers in other areas of the state as well in other parts of the country, following hand-over of their land to the corporate giants.
The agitating farmers have declared that they have lost faith in all the political parties of the ruling class, which pretend to uphold the interests of the fighting people when in opposition, but implement the same policies in the service of the capitalists when in power. They are determined to continue their struggle, refusing to succumb to any kind of inducements offered by various agencies or threats of forcible eviction by the authorities. They are demanding that the government exercise its authority in favour of the affected farmers and not in favour of the Indian and foreign capitalists.