Mahadayi stirs up demand for green shawls

HUBBALLI: Green shawls, an accepted symbol of farmers’ organizations, are flying off the shelves after growers of north Karnataka launched an agitation demanding completion of Kalasa-Banduri irrigation project and a share of water of the river Mahadayi.

For more than three decades, members of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) have draped green shawls over their shoulders during every agitation, and waved them in unison as a show of strength during rallies. Now, more farmers are acquiring these shawls when they head to offer support to the agitation on Kalasa-Banduri issue. “There is heavy demand for green shawls since last two months in Naragund, Navalgund, Bailhongal and other parts of Mumbai-Karnataka region which is the epicenter of Mahadayi movement. I have seen four-fold increase in sale of these shawls as there is much demand for it among the farmers who are engaged in the agitation. Sometimes, there is short supply of these shawls as we have to bring them from Erode of Tamil Nadu or Punjab,” says Narendra Singh, a wholesale merchant and proprietor of Sagar Handlooms.

Farmers, however, are concerned about the misuse of these shawls by local politicians who arrive at the venue of the agitation to express support to those leading the agitation. Some of them are retaining these shawls to gain political mileage or to intimidate officials.

“Several pseudo-farmer leaders are using them just to intimidate officials, and are trying to earn money for themselves without fighting for the cause of poor and drought-hit farmers.

“There is an urgent need to stop this trend as it could sully the image of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha,” says Vijay Kulkarni, president, Kalasa Banduri Horata Samiti.