Karnataka   

Grama vastavya: Kumaraswamy gets open invite from Chamalapura

CHAMALAPURA: People of Chamalapura who fear forcible eviction to pave the way for the 1000 MW coal-fired thermal power plant, have extended an open invitation to Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy to visit the village and stay there as part of his “grama vastavya” programme before relinquishing power.

The invitation is more in the nature of a challenge as if to “dare him” to identify Chamalapura for the popular “grama vastavya” or village stay programme and spend a night interacting with the local community. Mr. Kumaraswamy has time to spend the night in various villages. Let him come to Chamalapura and assess the situation for himself, was the challenge thrown by the people.

Chamalapura and the surrounding area are in the thick of a ragging controversy over the thermal power plant proposed by the Government. For the farmers it is a question of their survival and the only means of livelihood that will be snatched away from them. Even if the power plant is established on Government land without entailing displacement, the release of over 5,000 tonnes of fly ash per day will ruin agriculture in a 50 km radius.

What has perplexed the community living around Chamalapura is the disregard for local sentiments displayed by the Government. Some farmers say that the Government has not bothered to know their views about the project. They said that Mr. Kumaraswamy and his brother (Minister for Power H.D. Revanna) should come and stay them for one night and see for themselves the ground reality.

As one hits the muddy serpentine road around the Malleshwara Betta, which stands tall amid lush green fields — described by the Government as barren land to justify the choice of Chamalapura — the unfolding landscape presents scores of water bodies that are a treasure trove of biodiversity.

Interaction with the people in the villages identified as project affected areas underlines the growing bellicosity of the local community. Whether it is Chamalapura or Kyatanahalli, Mudduru or Garikekatte, the mood of the people is one of defiance and belligerence which is a far cry from the indifference and timidity displayed four months ago.

When asked if they would sell their lands for a good price, residents of the village Tayamma and Nanju, shoot back: “Have we not seen money in our lives. Let them come and beg, we will give them cash and send them packing. We are not interested in their money. We want to retain our land and will not budge from our stance”.

“The entire area is lush green with sugarcane, paddy, coconut plantation and yet the Government has described it as barren,” fumed Shivasiddaiah at Chunchurayanahundi. “Drill for about 30 feet and water will spill out and you call it barren. We harvest two to three crops annually and will not give up our land even if they offer us Rs.25 lakh per acre”, quipped Siddaiah and others who have ordered for “giant notice boards” announcing a ban on entry of officials into the villages.

The heightened vigilance to prevent officials hit a new high when the local community heard that 15 acres of land was being cleared near Chamalapura for “plantation purpose.” People equated it with power plant and were on their toes until it was clarified that “plantation” meant afforestation exercise of the Forest Department.

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