HUBBALLI: Nearly 10,000 people descended to Nargund in Gadag district - the epicenter of the Kalasa-Banduri protest - to mark the second anniversary of the Mahadayi agitation on Sunday.The farmers, along with many elected representatives, took out a rally from Baba Saheb Circle and marched down several thoroughfares of the town. President of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene, MLA KS Puttanaiah questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's silence on the pressing issue."It's a shame that farmers are on strike for the past two years demanding the implementation of the Kalasa-Banduri nala project but no government has taken the protest seriously. In the US, water is supplied from a distance of 2,000km, but in India, farmers are struggling to source water from a place located 60km away. Farmers and the rest of the public have been waiting for the project's implementation for decades. PM Modi should show his political will by intervening in this issue. The chief ministers of all three states must set their prestige aside to help the farmers," said Puttanaiah.Heaping praise on the state's farmers, he added, "They are no lesser than agricultural scientists." Puttanaiah said that the farmers would soon launch a state-wide hunger strike. "We'll hold discussions with various organisations and decide what's to be done next," he added.Chamaras Malipatil, honorary president of Raitha Sangha, described the Mahadayi agitaton as a unique event, considering it had been going on for two years. "Instead of supplying drinking water, governments are trying to curb agitation by using police force. PM is busy touring foreign countries, but has been helpless in talking to just three CMs," he said.Expressing disappointment over the attitude of the MPs from the state towards the farmers' protest, Siddhaling Mahaswamiji of Tontadarya Mutt said, "The 17 MPs from BJP should be representatives of the people, but they are behaving like Modi's representatives. If this peaceful agitation turns violent, no government can control it. The governments should understand that this protest is about the survival of 12 taluks in North Karnataka."Veeresh Sobaradamath, Shankar Ambali, KG Shantaswamimath and others were some of the other prominent members who participated in the protest on Sunday."Did Prime Minister Narendra Modi ask anybody before announcing demonetisation? What stops him from convening a meeting of chief ministers of Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra to solve Mahadayi row?'"asked farmers. who sat on a dharna in front of MP Prahlad Joshi's office here on Sunday.The farmers demanded that Prahlad Joshi and leader of the opposition in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar should meet farmers' leader Sabaradamath, who had announced an indefinite hunger strike.The farmers said that Modi can solve the issue peacefully. However, he is not doing anything in this regard. The BJP leaders in the district must convince Modi to announce a date of meeting of the three chief ministers, they demanded.BJP leader Mahesh Tenginkai said that since Lok Sabha session is going on, Joshi is in New Delhi and Shettar is in Bengaluru. "I will convey the messages of farmers to the leaders," he assured. Farmer leaders Guru Rayanagouda, Shankar Ambli and Vishwanath Patil led the protest.Though there was no bandh call, traders voluntarily shut their shops in support of mega rally. As a precautionary measure, NWKRTC suspended operations in Nargund taluk. However, farmers and supporters arrived in town by tractors, traxes and other vehicles. Passengers relied on private vehicles for transport needs. Police department deployed about 2,000 personnel including the home guards for security.Don't pay any type of tax, loan, electricity bill from today. If any official comes for loan recovery, just kick and send him back. Display a board at the entrance of each village barring entry to elected representatives. Let agitation become stronger-Chamaras Malipatil, Honorary president, Rait Sangh.MPs of Dharwad, Belagavi, Gadag and Bagalkot districts, former chief ministers BS Yedyurappa and Jagadish Shettar should unitedly make efforts to put pressure on Prime Minister Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah to convince their party chief ministers in Goa and Maharashtra to hold tripartite talks involving KarnatakaNargund MLA BR Yavagal, former MLA CC Patil should pressurize chief minister CM Siddaramaiah to attend negotiations with his Goa and Maharashtra counterparts.Farmer leader Veeresh Sobaradamath started an indefinite hunger strike with immediate effect, and requested the farmers to perform his last rites, if he succumbs to death in the course of protest, on the bank of Mahadayi River.

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