Endosulfan victims laud Shobha’s elevation as Central Minister

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Belthangady, July 07, 2021: For the villagers of Kokkada, Nidle, and Patrame in Belthangady Taluk, Shobha Karandlaje is the name that they will always remember.

It was Shobhakka who helped the endosulfan victims of these villages by dragging the attention of the state government and providing them compensation and also a daycare center at Kokkada.

The political confusion within BJP had forced Shobha to resign from the BSY cabinet in 2009. But she did not sit silent. She took up the cause of endosulfan victims and grabbed the attention of the Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.

When Shridhar Gowda was leading the Anti Endosulfan movement, Shobha strongly stood by him.

For the first time in October 2009, the state government conducted a survey and compiled data on disability among the people.

On February 28, 2010 Yediyurappa came to Kokkada and distributed the compensation to the families.

While nothing much has been done by the later governments, the people of Nidle, Patrame, and Kokkada remember her as she was the one who initiated the process of providing help to them.

“Shobhakka was the only leader who stood by us. She told the Chief Minister that she will sit on hunger strike with me if the government did not help endosulfan victims,” Shridhar Gowda recollects.

“She also ensured Endosulfan was banned in the state. As many as 211 victims of 209 families were provided Rs 50,000 compensation each. She also was instrumental in setting up the daycare center for the victims at Kokkada and also PHC,” he added.

Gowda is now hopeful that Shobhakka will drag the attention of the Union government on endosulfan victims.

“We will contact her after a week. She was the leader who took up the cause in Karnataka. She has seen our problem and knows the damage it has caused in Kerala and Karnataka. I hope she drags the attention of the Central government and solves our problem,” he added.