Farmers’ groups join anti-road stir at GKVK

Friday, 05 February 2010

Around 200 students of University of Agricultural Science, Gandhi Krishi Vignan Kendra (GKVK) held a protest against BBMP for “illegally” constructing a road through the GKVK campus on Thursday.

The protesting students said, “By constructing this road, BBMP is destroying the natural ecosystem and very
rare medicinal and aromatic plants in the institute premises. The students were supported by several farmers’ groups and residents around GKVK campus”.

Farmers’ leader Kuruburu Shantakumar, speaking on behalf of the agitating students said, “Injustice is being meted out by the BBMP to the students of the agricultural university.

They are hampering the research”.

Shantakumar said, “It is an insult, since all this research would have benefited the farmers. The government is doing nothing about it”. He said that he would support the students’ agitation and if needed, mobilise the farmers to camp at the university.

Similar opinion was echoed by residents of Vidyaranyapura. HV Venkatesh, a local resident, told Express, “The BBMP road will destroy the bio-diversity and serenity of this area, besides hampering research work”.

Sabine, a German national and a local resident said, “In 2005, we bought our house in the area, since it was close to GKVK. We used to come here for morning walk and jogging. It is sad that BBMP has cut down all the trees here”.

Sabine said, for the entire north Bangalore, this was the only lung space. If BBMP had its way, even this would be gone.

Final year student of an ag ricultural science course, Chetan said, “In the entire world, we are the first in research activities of hybrid minor millets”.

He said that the institute housed some of the rarest medicinal and aromatic crops in the world.

Chetan said, “Many PhD and post-graduation students are conducting field trials on that part of the land where BBMP is constructing the road”. If the construction of the road was not stopped, the students would launch a major agitation, he added.

Later the students, local residents and the farmers met BBMP officials and submitted a memorandum.