Progressive ryot opens Dasara fest, makes a pitch for integrated farming

The Mysuru Dasara festival got off to a historic start on Tuesday: A dalit farmer de clared the event open from atop Chamundi Hill, and re cently-crowned Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar ascended the golden throne and conducted the khas darbar for the first time.
In the morning, Puttaiah, 67, lit the lamp to signify the start of the 405th edition of Naada Habba. The farmer from HD Kote appealed to his fraternity on the occasion: "Don't commit suicide, live within your means and adopt integrated farming." The Siddaramaiah government had picked Puttaiah to inaugurate the festival to express its solidarity with the farmers in the wake of a wave of suicides and drought across the state.The first choice, Kadilal Shamanna, rejected the government's invite.
Making a plea not to take loans unnecessarily, Puttaiah said he got eight wells drilled on his agricultural land without borrowing a paisa. He urged the government to implement scientific farming policy , provide adequate price for the produce, facilitate solar pumpsets and set up barns in every village so that farmers don't have to dump their produce on the roads.
Puttaiah, who has studied up to class 8, recalled his journey as a farmer. "My father, a bonded labourer, started farming on four acres of land given by the government in 1960. My five brothers and I grew vegetables and other crops. We wanted to progress, and began rearing sheep and fish. We also took up sericulture and coconut plantation, through which we earned Rs 1.5 lakh every three months. We grew crops like sugarcane, banana, turmeric, ginger and maize and earned Rs 6 lakh a year," he said.

He urged farmers to utilize facilities provided by the government and live within their means. Family members will be pushed to trouble if a farmer commits suicide, he said.
Puttaiah had offered to make his own arrangements to attend the event, but the district administration brought him to the venue in an Innova with an escort citing protocol. Three KSRTC buses were chartered to ferry over 100 of his family members. CM Siddaramaiah, cabinet colleagues and others were present too.