Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Sep 23: A clip of Yakshagana video, which mocks the ongoing farmers’ protest against the agricultural law of the union government, is making rounds on social media. Farmers’ organizations of the state have objected to this teasing of their fight against the union government’s law by the Yakshagana artistes.

In the video, the Yakshagana artiste, mentioning the agricultural law of the union government says, “Those who are protesting for many months wearing green shawl and cap are not real farmers. They are faking identity. Even if they protest for six years, nothing is going to happen.”

“If the real farmers were sitting on roads in protest from where we would have got rice? Real farmers are still tilling the paddy fields,” it is said in the video.

The leaders of farmers’ organization say, “The dialogues delivered by the Yakshagana artiste in which farmers are insulted in order to support particular political parties does not augur well for the status of Yakshagana art.”

Yadav Shetty, vice president of Karnataka region Raitha Sangha said, “It is condemnable that Yakshagana art is used to make false propaganda against the farmers’ protest. Thereby the perpetrators are trying to degrade the art of Yakshagana also.”

Ravikiran Punacha, chief secretary of state Raitha Sangha said, “I have respect towards Yakshagana. But it is really hurting that those who do not have life’s experience are insulting the farmers.”