Battle for Bidadi: This is about survival, not compensation as farmers threaten mass suicide

Mangalore Today News Network

Bidadi, Jul 15, 2026: Tension gripped Bidadi on Tuesday as the agitation against the proposed Bidadi township project intensified, with rival groups of pro- and anti-project farmers staging protests. The developments came a day after women protesters allegedly chased away Joint Measurement Committee (JMC) survey officials with brooms in Mandalahalli, prompting police to register criminal cases against them.

Byramangala Circle emerged as the focal point of the protests.

Hundreds of farmers opposing the project gathered at the site, many carrying pesticide bottles and wooden pestles (onake), warning that they would resort to mass suicide if officials attempted to enter their fields.

The protesters said they had been demonstrating peacefully against the project for more than 493 days.

Gathering near Byramangala and neighbouring villages, they raised slogans against the township and displayed placards declaring that their land was their livelihood. Several women carried pesticide bottles, saying they were prepared to sacrifice their lives rather than surrender their farmland.

"We may lose our lives, but we will not give up our land. We will not allow surveys without our consent," one farmer said.

Rejecting allegations of violence during Monday’s protest, the farmers accused the police of using force against demonstrators.

"They have recorded only videos that support their version. Our farmers were injured, several women were pushed, and one elderly farmer had to be hospitalised," a protester alleged.

’This Is About Survival’

Farmer Rathnamma said the agitation was not about securing higher compensation but about protecting their livelihood.

"This is about our survival, our children’s future and our very existence. We will not part with our ancestral land under any circumstances," she said.

Other women farmers echoed similar concerns, saying agriculture remained the backbone of their families’ livelihoods.

"We educated our children, built our homes and sustained our families through farming. We cultivate banana, arecanut and mulberry, and rear livestock. Why should we surrender the land that feeds us?" said farmer Venkalakshmamma.

She maintained that no amount of monetary compensation could replace farmland.

"They may offer crores of rupees, but money cannot sustain future generations the way land does," she said.

Rathnamma, who owns about one acre of land, also rejected the idea of accepting higher compensation.

"Even if they offer Rs 12 crore, we will not give our land. This one acre is all we have. If we lose it, where will we go?" she asked.

The anti-project farmers alleged that the state government and police were attempting to conduct surveys without obtaining the mandatory consent of affected landowners.

Farmer Jyothi accused the authorities of acting without informing the protesters.

"We have been protesting peacefully for over a year and a half and are completely exhausted. The officials who are supposed to listen to our grievances are ignoring us," she said.

"We were not informed about yesterday’s survey. No one has the right to enter our land without our consent. If they return, our protest will be even stronger," she warned.

Another farmer alleged that despite assurances from the local MLA that no JMC survey or compensation process would proceed until discussions with the Chief Minister, officials conducted the survey secretly.

"If the Deputy Commissioner officially declares in writing that our lands have been excluded from acquisition, we will immediately withdraw our protest. Otherwise, this township will have to be built over our graves," the farmer said.

Pro-Project Farmers Hold Counter-Protest

Adding to the tension, a counter-protest broke out about 50 to 100 metres away, where a large group of farmers supporting the township project—mostly those willing to part with their land—blocked the busy Bidadi-Harohalli road, resulting in traffic congestion that stretched for several kilometres.

The pro-project farmers demanded that the JMC survey resume immediately and that compensation be disbursed without further delay. They argued that uncertainty over land acquisition had persisted for nearly two decades, causing severe financial hardship.

Despite the counter-protest, the anti-project farmers reiterated that they would continue their agitation until the government officially exempted unwilling landowners from the acquisition process.