Villagers vow to oppose BMIC project

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE, AUG. 11. The people of Hebbadihundi in Srirangapatna taluk have taken an oath not to allow the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) to pass through their village.

The protestors, including farmers, students and other residents of the village, assembled near the bus stand last evening and vowed to fight against the government agencies which, they said, were creating a wrong notion that development could be achieved only through privatisation. The villagers were addressed by the Convenor of Pragathi Ranga, Prof. K. Ramdas, who said the Government should elicit the opinion of the people before clearing such projects as the BMIC. The local people should decide the kind of development they wanted and the Government could not impose such ``development'' projects as the BMIC on the people, he added.

Prof. Ramdas described the BMIC as an ``embodiment of evil'' which would turn the free farmers into slaves at the hands of the foreign investors. The project would affect agriculture and food production. He called upon the villagers to oppose the BMIC at all costs, and expressed the fear that the villagers would lose their land and be rendered unemployed. This would have a bearing on their economic condition, he added.

He said construction of the BMIC was tantamount to laying the foundation stone of five-star hotels after ringing the death knell of the villages. Not only would the farmers lose their land, the landless labourers would be rendered unemployed and would get no compensation, he warned. ``The rural culture and civilisation would come under the grip of the evils of an alien culture, thus endangering the moral and ethical values in our society. The Government is promoting the project in the name of development. But the question is whose development,'' said Prof. Ramdas.

The villagers who had assembled said they would lose their livelihood as a result of the project. They would also forfeit their right of way if the BMIC was allowed to pass through their village.

Hundreds of farmers from the surrounding villages who had gathered said they would adopt a non-cooperative attitude towards the project authorities and the implementing agencies. They said they would continue to oppose the project even if the Government paid them adequate compensation.

The farmers said they were dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. ``Money given as compensation will be spent soon, leaving us in penury. If we migrate to towns and cities, we will remain unemployed since we do not have other skills. Agriculture is the only vocation we know, and we will end up in slums if we migrate to cities,'' said the villagers.

The Federation against the BMIC said it would monitor the villages and distribute handbills among the villagers to make them aware of the disadvantages of the project. The protest against the BMIC was led by the president of the federation, Mr. Bandigowda.

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