With uncertainty observing him, Raghu M, a farmer from Devanahalli’s Gokare Bachchenahalli village, is already considering excessive steps if the Karnataka Authorities goes forward and acquires his land for the high-tech defence and aerospace sector park within the Bengaluru Rural district.
Raghu, 58, is among the many farmers protesting towards the acquisition of 1,777 acres of land, unfold throughout 13 villages within the Bengaluru Rural district, by the Karnataka Industrial Space Growth Board (KIADB). A number of farmer unions, together with the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, have threatened to accentuate their protest if the federal government doesn’t drop the challenge.
The affected landowners are anticipated to satisfy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Friday, July 4, in search of withdrawal of the ultimate notification to accumulate their lands.
‘Snatching my land means snatching my life’
Raghu, who grows sandalwood on his 10-acre land in Gokere Machenahalli, has an annual revenue of Rs 80,000 and takes care of a household of 4.
Talking to The Indian Specific from the protest web site at Freedom Park, Raghu stated, “Snatching away my land means snatching away my life. I’ve my dad and mom’ samadhi (memorial) on the land. I’ll kill myself close to the samadhi, if the federal government acquires my land. That is the fifth time the federal government is notifying land for industrial functions within the Channarayapatna hobli. That is when there’s vital underutilisation in a minimum of 40 per cent of land allotted to present industries by KIADB within the hobli.”
Farmers argue that KIADB developed an industrial space spanning 1,282 acres in Section I of the Haralur Industrial Space in Devanahalli taluk. Nevertheless, solely two firms have arrange manufacturing items on this space, reportedly suggesting vital underutilisation of the allotted land. They are saying it’s a clear indication of prioritising company and vested pursuits over farmer welfare.
Farmers have additionally warned that depriving them of their agricultural lands will result in extreme disruption of important provides to Bengaluru. “If we lose our agricultural land to industrial tasks, Bengaluru shall be hit severely. Many of the greens and milk for Bengaluru come from Devanahalli taluk, given its proximity to the town,” provides Raghu.
‘Will find yourself with gatekeeping, gardening jobs’
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Gopinath A S, one other protesting farmer from Nallur, is dealing with hurdles in acquiring a no-objection certificates to put in a borewell for irrigation on his 6.5-acre agricultural land. Courtesy: the federal government’s finalisation of the notification for land acquisition.
Gopinath, who helps a household of 15, grows ragi in his agricultural subject, says, “The one work I do know is agriculture. How am I purported to assist my household and my livelihood when the federal government is grabbing my land? Regardless of protests from the farmers for the final 3.5 years, the federal government nonetheless went forward with the ultimate notification”.
He additionally factors out that a number of landowners who misplaced their land to earlier industrial tasks ended up as gardeners or gatekeepers on the factories. “The federal government has assured compensation of 10,771 sq ft of developed land per acre. What is going to farmers with small land parcels do? Particularly, these with 1 acre or 2 acres of land. They can’t practise agriculture in a small parcel of land in a village. Finally, they’ll find yourself with gatekeeping and gardening jobs within the factories as a result of they’re unskilled and know nothing however agriculture,” provides Gopinath.
One other farmer, Yangtamma, who has invested practically Rs 8-9 lakh within the final 5 years to develop pomegranate on her 5.5-acre land, is equally nervous. “With the federal government set to accumulate my land, all my funding and laborious work will go in useless,” she says.
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The farmers additionally level out that just about 80 per cent of landowners raised objections to the land acquisition course of when the federal government performed the khata amalgamation three years in the past. “Whereas some households accepted compensation, some households stay undecided,” says Raghu.
For public-private partnership tasks or non-public acquisitions, consent from 70-80 per cent of affected landowners is required, in step with the Proper to Truthful Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
In the meantime, on June 24, the Karnataka Authorities determined to exclude 495 acres from three villages from land acquisition. Nevertheless, farmers from these villages will not be satisfied.
Lakshmamma is a farmer from Nallapanahalli, whose village has been excluded from land acquisition. Nevertheless, she continues to protest and stand in solidarity with different landowners till the federal government drops the acquisition course of.
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“We don’t belief the federal government. No land means no job. My whole household is into agriculture. We develop ragi, silk, and greens on a 3-acre land parcel. If the federal government acquires our land, we have now nowhere else to go. We don’t wish to go away our land. Regardless of our village being excluded, we nonetheless need all different villages to be dropped from the acquisition course of,” says Lakshmamma.
Competing with different states
The state authorities is ambitiously pursuing the high-tech defence and aerospace park to maintain up with the intensifying competitors from neighbouring states.
Tamil Nadu has emerged as a robust competitor with two deliberate Aerospace and Defence (A&D) parks in Coimbatore — 350 acres at Varapatti and one other close to Sulur with an airstrip for trials, just like Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Hyderabad can be a rising A&D hub, with industrial parks just like the one in Adibatla internet hosting firms resembling Tata Superior Programs and Lockheed Martin.
Andhra Pradesh has additionally just lately proposed new HAL services, sparking debates about potential relocation from Karnataka, although Karnataka retains HAL’s core manufacturing items in Bengaluru and Tumkur. The state can be creating industrial corridors to draw A&D investments. Moreover, Andhra Pradesh additionally provides massive land parcels at decrease prices in comparison with Karnataka, and its coastal location boosts logistics for exports.
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In the meantime, Maharashtra is positioning Nashik as a future A&D hub, with plans for a defence hall between Nashik and Pune. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis just lately claimed that Maharashtra is attracting vital A&D investments, surpassing established corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
“The ultimate notification for the acquisition of land in Devanahalli taluk was issued in April 2025, and reversing it now could be extremely problematic as a result of administrative processes which might be already underway. Such a rollback might create a ripple impact, encouraging farmers throughout Devanahalli and past to demand de-notification of their unutilised KIADB lands, disrupting deliberate industrial improvement,” a state authorities official stated.