Why are people of Chikkamagaluru expressing opposition against Kasturirangan report?

Residents of Chikkamagaluru are using the Ganpati festival to oppose the Kasturirangan report, which threatens their lands and traditions. The Malenadu Struggle Committee and local leaders, like Nagesh, are rallying support and urging objections to the report, citing impacts on livelihoods and cultural practices.

Residents of Chikkamagaluru are expressing strong opposition to the Kasturirangan report, using the Ganpati festival as a platform to voice their concerns. The report's potential implementation could drastically impact the local community and their traditional way of life.

In Chikkamagaluru, the Ganpati festival has taken on a new role this year as a symbol of resistance against the Kasturirangan report. The report, which proposes changes that could affect the hilly regions of Karnataka, has sparked widespread outrage among the local farmers and residents.

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The Kasturirangan report, if enacted, threatens to strip away half of the hilly lands in Chikkamagaluru, disrupting the lives of farmers and indigenous communities. To counter this, the Malenadu Struggle Committee has mobilized residents to use the festival as a means of raising awareness and rallying support.

During the festival, people are taken to public spaces where Ganpati idols are installed to speak out against the report. They emphasize that the implementation of the Kasturirangan report would severely affect their daily lives and cultural traditions. Without the freedom to celebrate grandly—without loud music, fireworks, or elaborate decorations—the community feels their cultural expressions are being stifled.

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The Malenadu Struggle Committee is urging everyone, including local gram panchayats, to voice their objections to the report. They argue that the report threatens not just the livelihoods of upland farmers but also the environment, which they believe is better protected by local farmers than by government authorities.

Nagesh, president of the Malenadu Farmers' Welfare Forum, is leading the charge in raising awareness among the local population. He stresses that no project should come at the cost of people's lives and calls for everyone to file formal objections to the Kasturirangan report.