Karnataka CM invites Bidadi farmers for talks after 540-day protest
After 540 days of sustained protest against the Bidadi Township project, Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has invited representatives of the agitating farmers for talks. The invitation, extended on Tuesday, comes a day after the protesters moved their agitation from Bairamangala Circle to Bengaluru’s Freedom Park and announced plans to lay siege to the Vidhana Soudha, the state legislature.
Yashavantha T., State general secretary of the Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS), said the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) has invited 25 representatives of the protesting farmers, who are members of the Samyukta Horata Karnataka and the Bairamangala-Kanchugaranahalli Horata Samithi. The delegation will include farmer leaders Badagalapura Nagendra, Chukki Nanjundaswamy, Melukote MLA Darshan Puttannaiah, and farmers from nine villages identified for land acquisition.
The farmers have made it clear that their primary demand is the complete scrapping of the Bidadi Township project. They have also demanded an immediate halt to the land acquisition process that began after the final notification was issued. In case the government decides to conduct a survey through a committee, the protesters insist that the committee should include representatives from different fields to ensure fairness and transparency.
The Bidadi Township project, conceived as a large integrated township on the outskirts of Bengaluru, has been mired in controversy since its inception. Farmers across the affected villages have resisted the acquisition of their agricultural land, arguing that it would not only displace them but also destroy their primary source of livelihood. The agitation, which has been ongoing for nearly 18 months, has seen sustained participation from the local farming community, women, and civil society groups.
The decision to escalate the protest to Freedom Park and the threat to besiege the Vidhana Soudha apparently prompted the Chief Minister to reach out. The invitation to dialogue is being seen as a recognition of the farmers’ persistence and a possible attempt to defuse the situation before it spirals further.
The proposed meeting at Vidhana Soudha will bring together representatives from both sides. The farmers have indicated that they are willing to discuss their grievances, but they remain firm on their core demand for scrapping the project. The state government, on its part, has not yet indicated any willingness to abandon the project, and the coming talks are expected to be tough.
Analysts point out that the outcome of these talks could have wider implications for land acquisition policies in Karnataka, especially at a time when infrastructure and urban development projects are expanding rapidly. The Bidadi protest has become a flashpoint for larger questions about farmers’ rights, compensation, and the model of development being pursued.
As both sides prepare for the meeting, the hope is that a constructive dialogue will lead to an amicable resolution. The farmers have said they will wait for the outcome before deciding their next course of action, but they have also made it clear that they will not abandon their struggle until justice is done.
