TDP’s ‘rythu kosam’ protest demands fair deal for farmers
The Hindu
Rallies taken out in many Rayalaseema areas
The TDP on Tuesday kicked off a State-wide protest with a slogan ‘Rythu Kosam Telugu Desam’ and demanded that the YSRCP government withdraw its ‘anti-farmer’ policies.
The party leaders and cadre took out protest rallies and submitted memoranda to officials in Nandyal, Kurnool, Hindupur, Anantapur and Kadapa parliamentary constituencies. They raised slogans and displayed placards in protest against the Jagan Mohan Reddy’s “misrule” and the Chief Minister’s ‘indifference’ to the rising debts and problems of farmers in the State. At some places, the protesters went in bullock carts and submitted representations to the local officials. The party intends to continue ‘Rythu Kosam’ protests till September 18.
The ‘protesters’ displayed different crops to convey to the authorities that lack of government support had hit the farmers very hard. Agricultural activity had come to a halt as the government had withdrawn all subsidies with an ulterior plan to ruin the farm sector, they added.
Hampi, the UNESCO-recognised historical site, was the capital of the Vijayanagara empire from 1336 to 1565. Foreign travellers from Persia, Europe and other parts of the world have chronicled the wealth of the place and the unique cultural mores of this kingdom built on the banks of the Tungabhadra river. There are fine descriptions to be found of its temples, farms, markets and trading links, remnants of which one can see in the ruins now. The Literature, architecture of this era continue inspire awe.
Unfurling the zine handed to us at the start of the walk, we use brightly-coloured markers to draw squiggly cables across the page, starting from a sepia-toned vintage photograph of the telegraph office. Iz, who goes by the pronouns they/them, explains, “This building is still standing, though it shut down in 2013,” they say, pointing out that telegraphy, which started in Bengaluru in 1854, was an instrument of colonial power and control. “The British colonised lands via telegraph cables, something known as the All Red Line.”
The festival in Bengaluru is happening at various locations, including ATREE in Jakkur, Bangalore Creative Circus in Yeshwantpur, Courtyard Koota in Kengeri, and Medai the Stage in Koramangala. The festival will also take place in various cities across Karnataka including Tumakuru, Ramanagara, Mandya, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Hassan, Chitradurga, Davangere, Chamarajanagar and Mysuru.