The Village which Defied Democracy

When the whole world stands up to salute the Democrat processes of India, this little village on the outskirts of the silicon city of Bangalore defied this very same process and also wounded it with a nail right through the heart of Democracy.
Ramagondanahalli 16 kilometers away from the center of the garden city of Bangalore and 10 kilometers away from the electronic city (Silicon City) stayed away from exercising their franchise except for one black sheep in the whole of the village.
Though many newspapers in the city of Bangalore and the TV crews missed the non voting defiance by the villagers against their farm land grab by the Bangalore Development Authority, the DNA Bangalore edition had a small single column in their 24th April, 2009. Since the next day was Saturday and I had got myself into a relax mode, did nor bother nor take any pain to follow it up. But on Sunday, I was hell bend on going to the village to speak to the people who had defied Democracy.
When I reached Ramagondanahalli along with Preetha S Kumar (one of the few present day journalists who likes to go on the field), while most others would rather than sit in the office and collect them on the phone or worse still were some of them make up quotes with fabricated names, may god bless them.
The serene surrounding of the village was a pleasure to see and then talking to the residents who defied to vote and to add insult to injury they also told us that how they shooed away the visiting candidates of the Bangalore North constituency.
So talking to them became very easy as they obliged us and the village elders took us around and allowed us to cross question anyone at will in their village as to why they did not go to vote.
Most of the villager’s young and old whom we spoke to had one answer with them and that was the Bangalore Development Authority was acquiring their farming land in the name of development and compensating them with 40 percent of the authentic value of their land. This they say with a chorus ‘was robbing them of their livelihood and also undermining them as illiterates.’ So we decided to teach the whole Indian political system a lesson, which if this system is rightfully put to use will be – By the people, for the people and of the people – while this no longer exists. The motto now by the present political system is – By the people, for my family and of my family - one need not take a guess at what I am trying to convey.
There was revolution in Ramagondanahalli. The villagers want their land back from the BDA. As DNA reported, the protest came to a head in Thursday’s poll. The entire village, barring one resident, just refused to cast their ballots. Below are some of the reactions from the angry village on Sunday, three days after the polls, and found its residents fuming and remorseless.
Below are the pictures taken by me along with the angry quotes of the villagers against the BDA acquiring their homes as well as their farming land for the every land hungry citizens of the silicon city.

Dreams to be razed: Some of the portions of the Ramagondanahalli village which houses 1300 odd residents with some of them who have constructed their dream homes will be razed to the ground by the ever growing city of Bangalore. These farming lands along with their homes will be shortly converted into Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) plots, for the ever demanding land hungry citizens of the silicon valley.

Elders Speak: Lakshmamma, 90, right, with her daughter-in-law Ratnamma, 30. She says she would definitely have voted, had the BDA reversed its decision (left), as Veerappa, 85, with wife Sakamma, 70, and daughter, 32, are likely to lose their livelihood if the BDA acquires their half-acre farmland. (right)

Farmers Say: Munai Gowda, 26, works on his only farm which BDA is acquiring (left) as V Narayanappa, 53, has five acres of arable land. He is not happy with BDA’s suggestion that he can retain 40 per cent of his land. (right)

Tough Talk: N Srinivasaiyya, 53, has a large family, with 35 dependants. He is an arecanut farmer and the loss of land will spell doom for his family, (left) Sokkamma, 84, is furious at BDA’s attempt to acquire her land. “Can you tell us what will we eat? Mud perhaps?” she yells. (right)

Youth Anger:Harshita, 18, seen above with her family, decided to forgo the opportunity to vote for the first time, in solidarity with the rest of the village (left), Sreenivas, 44, Anusuyamma, 32, and Mavitha S, 25, show their voters’ identification cards, which, of course, they didn’t use.(right)

Woman Power: Vyankantamma, 45, with her 25, year old daughter Gangamma have 10 quintals of land with a few cows and a small house which they will lose to the BDA land grab (left), as Shanthamma, 30, owns half an acre of land. She stares at a bleak future as the BDA remains steadfast in its decision to acquire land. (right)

Family Fury: Vajramani, 50, along with his mother Siddhamma, 74 and wife Padma, 45 who own 32 quintals of land say that they will have to eat mud if the BDA takes away their land and home (left), as Ramaswamy, right, 50, with wife Mahalakshmi, 38, and daughter Mamta, 18. They do not regret their decision to abstain from voting. (right)

M Shyamanna, 65 who has two wives and four daughters yet to be married says that the political system in this country stinks from head to toe, and adds that he can not sell his 5 acre land because of the BDA litigations against their village, (left) as N Muniraju, 45 who aslo owns 5 acres along with his 4 other brothers and with a joint family strength of 25 members, he said that the BDA is paying us 40 percent of the actual value of the land and where do they expect our 25 members to sleep and cook their daily meal.

The villagers say that they will boycott all future elections and not let any candidate in their village ever if the BDA does not stall the land acquisition. “Let the BDA cancel the acquisition first, then we'll think of something else. Until then, there is no question of voting even next year or even during the upcoming councilor polls” said the whole village in one voice.
If this happens it will put democracy to back in time to rethink where our elected democrats will be worried about, since if this issue is allowed to boil many such Ramagondanahalli's will be born in the world’s largest country which flaunts of a sovereign, socialist, secular and Democratic Republic in their constitution only on paper.

Dave the American Farmer

The work displayed below was part of my learning at the PJ (Photo Journalism) school of University of Missouri on the fine art of essay telling through images.
These images were taken over a period of one week at the 49th Missouri International Cliff Edom Photo Workshop which was held at Carthage an small town in the Mid-West of US in Missouri state in 1997.
This Photo Essay is of David E Howard a American farmer who runs his own workshop for spare parts apart from taking care of his 200 odd cows in a 25 acre farm land. Dave relishes on his food with a mouthful and enjoys coffee with a scramble board.
Dave relishes on his food with a mouthful and enjoys coffee with a scramble board, while his day starts very early at 4.00 am and goes to bed at 10.00 pm.

Dave and his wife Nadine during their early morning walk at 4-15 am.

Dave prepares breakfast and Nadine washes the previous night utensils.

Dave has his breakfast even as Nadine packs his lunch for her husband.

Dave after driving down to town relaxes with his school mates over a cup of coffee.
Dave says that the payment is rotated every day among them and adds that it just feels great to talk to old school chums and feel young.

Dave's office entrance with his children's photo and the 'Who's Who' honor plate.

Dave gets down to work by holding the customary meeting with his senior employees.

After the meet and planning for the day Dave checks on the newly build bike by one of his employee and suggest a few changes.

'Time to clear all my bills' Dave clears all the pending bills and says that he never trusts an accountant and the more so the Judicial guys.

This sign board is a proof of Dave's Hatred for them including a host of other professionals.

Dave play's a game of solitaire on his PC after having his lunch which wife Nadine had packed for him.

After a lose in the game it's time for Dave to put his fingers to work.

Dave loves his Land Rover and listens to light music while driving down to his parents house.

Dave on his way to his parent's checks the old 1915 Austin car which he has purchased and now sprucing it up at a friends car shop.

Dave and his father try to finish a scramble board which they left unfinished the previous weekend as Nadine chat’s up her mother-in-law.


Dave on his way home checks up on his friends who were preparing for the 'stake night party' at the all men club premises.

It's feeding time for his horses and cows at his farm house after he picked up all the corn leaves from the club premises.

Every weekend between 4 to 5.30 in the evening the Howard family has their regular guests. Dave relaxes in his drawing room with his guests and family friends the Wakefield.

After supper and seeing their guest's off the Howard couple take a long walk in their farm with the dusk setting in.

Dave takes a loud yawn showing how hectic his day was and then says that it's time to retire to bed.
Well for 56 year old David E Howard this is 'one normal day work' and Dave says that though he knows he is getting old he feels younger as day's go by.
This photo essay was one great experience for me during the 49th Missouri Photo-Workshop, at Carthage Town, with a population of 10,000 people.
Since me being an Indian this experience of working with an American Mid-West farmer gave me the immense knowledge on the differences between the farmers in the West and Asia, in particular the Indian farmers.
David E Howard and his wife Nadine were very nice to me during my one week of stay with them and looked after me like one of their own kids.
I also thank Mr Bill Kuykendall, Mr David Rees, Mrs. Julie Elman, Mr.Kim Komenich and Mr Lois Raymond, and a host of others who spend their valuable time with me , ensuring that I develop the art of story telling through images, during the 49th Missouri Photo Workshop.