Karnataka Telugus Donates 60 Lakhs For Amaravathi Farmers

The Mahapadayatra by Amaravati farmers has received a shot in the arm with support from migrant Andhraites settled in neighbouring Karnataka. The walkathon by the farmers demanding that Amaravati should be declared as the only capital of the state has been receiving immense support from people in Andhra Pradesh, with many joining the farmers and contributing their mite.

The ‘Nyayasthanam to Devasthanam Mahapadayatra’ launched on November 1, 2021, in Thullur has also witnessed support from locals in the form of ‘flower shower’ throughout their way. As many as 300 migrant Andhraites not just reached Kalahasti from neighbouring Karnataka but also contributed Rs 60 lakh towards the padayatra. The migrants included farmers, common people, women and even youth. This support to the AP farmers is being viewed as a good omen in their endeavor.

The migrant Andhraites urged Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to declare Amaravati as the only capital for the state because capital is not just for the farmers but for the entire 5-crore population of Andhra Pradesh. “The farmers had given their land for the capital and stopped cultivating it more than 5 years ago. Construction work had also been taken up and now, how can it be converted into arable land even if it is returned to the owners. The AP government should try to think how the farmers would make a living,” they suggested.

The migrants from Karnataka said that they have come to Kalahasti to express their solidarity with the AP farmers, considering it their responsibility. The farmers protesting in Andhra Pradesh on the capital issue are not relatives of the migrants who came down from the neighbouring state but they hailed the women farmers for their unrelenting fight against the authorities for the last two-and-a-half years.

“The local MLA tried to create some trouble and did not allow the hotels to supply food to us after we reached here from Bengaluru but the agitating farmers made arrangements for a sumptuous meal and it was very tasty,” the migrant Telugus said.

After witnessing Prime Minister Narendra Modi bowing down to the unity of farmers in the north, will Jagan also be forced to change his decision on the capital issue, given the unity among farmers and support from even other states?