Shivamogga: Karnataka Minister Madhu Bangarappa on Monday said the state government would not allow implementation of the Kasturirangan report under any circumstances and assured people in Malnad that their land, agriculture and livelihoods would be protected.
The Kasturirangan Committee had recommended declaring 37 per cent of the Western Ghats, covering around 60,000 sq km across six states (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Keralam, and Tamil Nadu), as an Eco-Sensitive Area to balance environmental conservation with development.
“The Kasturirangan report will not be allowed to be implemented under any circumstances. Our government is committed to protecting every household in Malnad,” Bangarappa said while addressing a Congress padayatra and protest in Thirthahalli, demanding that the report be scrapped.
The padayatra, led by former minister Kimmane Ratnakar, began at Binthala and culminated at the Shanthaveri Gopalagowda Rangamandira. Congress workers raised slogans against the BJP and the union government during the procession.
Bangarappa, who holds the School Education and Literacy portfolio, said the Congress had consistently opposed the Kasturirangan report and recalled that a Cabinet sub-committee was constituted on the issue during Siddaramaiah’s tenure as chief minister after he entered the Assembly for the first time in 2013.
“Based on the recommendations of the committee, the report was rejected outright. The Congress party has opposed the Kasturirangan report from the beginning,” he said.
The issue was not merely about opposing a notification but about protecting the land, agriculture, livelihoods and future of Malnad, he said.
“The Western Ghats are our pride and environmental protection is necessary. But in the name of environmental protection, we cannot accept any measure that puts the people of Malnad, who live in harmony with the environment, into difficulty,” Bangarappa said.
Farmers across Shivamogga and neighbouring Malnad districts are seeking a physical survey and the exclusion of human settlements and cultivated land from the proposed ESA boundaries.
Turning his criticism on the BJP, Bangarappa questioned its leaders’ participation in discussions on the issue, asking whether Shivamogga MP B Y Raghavendra and then Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje had attended a crucial meeting convened by the Centre on August 11, 2016.
“Today, the BJP is making big statements on this issue. But did Raghavendra and Shobha attend that meeting?” he asked.
Bangarappa said Karnataka had rejected the Kasturirangan report several times and the Legislative Assembly had passed a resolution against it and sent it to the Centre.
“Despite this, the BJP government at the Centre has been issuing notifications repeatedly. Now, the draft notification has been issued for the seventh time, which has caused anger,” he said.
He said 139 villages in Thirthahalli taluk had figured in the first six draft notifications, while the latest draft proposed increasing the number to 154.
“What is local BJP MLA Araga Jnanendra doing on this issue?” he asked.
Maintaining that Malnad farmers were not against environmental conservation, Bangarappa said they were themselves part of the ecosystem.
“Thousands of people have been living and farming in the Western Ghats for centuries. They cultivate arecanut, paddy, coffee, pepper and other crops. We are not against the environment; we are ourselves a part of the environment,” he said.
Bangarappa, a Congress MLA from Soraba, assured farmers that the government would not permit any action detrimental to their interests.
“Malnad farmers should not be worried. When it comes to your land, agriculture and livelihood, your government is with you,” he said.
Bangarappa welcomed the state government’s decision to convene a three-day special session from September 21 to 23 to discuss, among other issues, the Kasturirangan report, saying the government would reiterate its stand there.
Recalling the political legacy of his father and former Chief Minister S Bangarappa, he said, “It is my duty to carry forward his ideals. I am walking on his path. I will not allow injustice to be done to the farmers of Malnad.” Bangarappa credited Devaraj Urs, S Bangarappa and Siddaramaiah with major initiatives benefiting the people and questioned the BJP’s contribution to the region.
He said the expansion of arecanut cultivation to 1.14 lakh hectares in Shivamogga district was partly a result of free pump sets provided during his father’s tenure.
Explaining his decision to attend the protest, Bangarappa said he had been scheduled to travel to New Delhi for a meeting on education reforms but came to Thirthahalli after the meeting was cancelled.
“We will always strive to protect the interests of the people of Malnad,” he added.