In a stirring appeal that struck a chord with rural communities across Karnataka, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) leader Chukki Nanjundaswamy has urged people to unite in creating “loan-free villages.” Speaking at a farmers’ convention in Mandya, she emphasized that the time had come for collective self-reliance rather than dependence on government debt relief. Nanjundaswamy, known for her strong grassroots activism, called upon citizens, cooperatives, and local institutions to contribute to an agricultural model based on mutual aid, resource-sharing, and sustainable farming practices.
Nanjundaswamy stated that the dream of “Swavalambi Grama” (self-reliant villages) could be achieved only when farmers stop relying on high-interest private loans and predatory credit institutions. She said that financial literacy, community solidarity, and local cooperative systems are the key weapons against the debt trap. Highlighting that several farmers across Karnataka have lost their lives to mounting debts, she urged for immediate social reform. “We don’t need charity. We need strength, awareness, and unity to break the cycle of exploitation,” she declared to an applauding audience of over 2,000 farmers.
The leader emphasized that the creation of loan-free villages must be rooted in sustainable farming and cooperative economics. She urged farmers to diversify crops, adopt water-conserving methods, and revive traditional seed banks. The initiative will begin with pilot projects in Mandya, Chamarajanagar, and Hassan districts. KRRS will collaborate with women’s self-help groups, panchayats, and youth volunteers to promote income-generating activities and community-managed grain banks. Nanjundaswamy said the movement will focus on empowering small and marginal farmers, particularly women cultivators, who form the backbone of rural Karnataka.
Farmers urged to form local cooperatives
Nanjundaswamy appealed to farmers to establish micro-cooperatives to fund local needs. These cooperatives, she said, would lend small interest-free loans and enable farmers to escape moneylenders’ control. She explained that trust and transparency within communities can eliminate the need for external credit systems.
The KRRS leader stressed that village-level committees must act as watchdogs, ensuring that farmers do not fall prey to exploitative intermediaries. She reiterated that freedom from debt is the first step toward true rural independence.
Pathway to rural transformation
The idea of debt-free villages is not new but has gained momentum under Nanjundaswamy’s leadership, as the KRRS seeks to revive its historic spirit of farmers’ unity that once reshaped Karnataka’s rural economy. The new movement will combine Gandhian principles of self-reliance with modern cooperative frameworks, integrating local knowledge systems with market reforms.
In her closing remarks, Chukki Nanjundaswamy said, “If every village can stand on its own, Karnataka will be free from the chains of debt and despair.” She outlined that the KRRS would provide training sessions on organic farming, zero-budget natural agriculture, and collective entrepreneurship. The organization plans to create a state-wide network of loan-free villages within five years. Nanjundaswamy’s call to action reflects both urgency and optimism — a determination to transform Karnataka’s agrarian landscape through unity, sustainability, and self-reliance.
The call for creating loan-free villages has already started resonating across rural Karnataka, especially in districts heavily affected by agricultural debt. Many farmers in Mandya and Hassan have begun organizing informal meetings to discuss how they can collectively reduce dependency on private financiers. The KRRS’s revival of community-led economic models is being viewed as a timely intervention in a period marked by rising input costs and unpredictable crop prices. Farmers say the movement gives them renewed hope and a sense of control over their livelihoods.
Several veteran farmer leaders who were part of the original KRRS movement in the 1980s expressed pride in seeing the next generation taking charge of the farmers’ struggle. They believe Chukki Nanjundaswamy’s leadership combines the passion of her father, the late M.D. Nanjundaswamy, with a modern understanding of sustainability and women’s empowerment. Her emphasis on social awareness and financial discipline has given a pragmatic edge to the movement. Many older activists view her call for loan-free villages as a continuation of Karnataka’s rich legacy of agrarian resistance.
In many drought-prone districts, debt has long been a silent destroyer of rural stability. Farmers often borrow money to buy fertilizers, seeds, and equipment, but a single failed monsoon can trap them in years of repayment struggles. Nanjundaswamy’s initiative targets this structural issue by shifting focus from short-term credit to long-term community resilience. She urged farmers to think beyond seasonal profits and instead aim for economic security built on cooperative ownership and collective savings.
KRRS volunteers have begun mapping regions where debt levels are critically high to identify potential pilot villages. In these areas, local committees will be formed to assess farmers’ financial burdens and explore options like debt consolidation, cooperative savings schemes, and direct produce marketing. By bypassing middlemen, the initiative hopes to ensure farmers receive fair prices for their crops. Early reports from a few taluks suggest that local enthusiasm for the idea is strong, particularly among younger farmers.
The women’s self-help groups (SHGs) are expected to play a major role in this transformation. Nanjundaswamy emphasized that women, who often bear the emotional and financial brunt of farm distress, must be at the forefront of reform. She announced that KRRS will soon launch workshops on sustainable entrepreneurship for rural women. These programs will include training in value-added agriculture, small-scale processing, and cottage industries, thereby diversifying income sources and reducing loan dependence.
Experts in rural economics have hailed the initiative as both ambitious and necessary. They argue that loan-free villages are not merely a financial goal but a social transformation project. By rebuilding local trust and cooperation, such villages could model a sustainable economic structure where credit is managed locally and profits are retained within the community. Economists believe that this approach could gradually reshape Karnataka’s rural economy, making it more resilient to both climatic and market shocks.
The Karnataka government has taken note of the movement’s growing momentum. Some officials have expressed willingness to align existing rural development schemes with the KRRS’s model. Departments like agriculture, cooperative development, and rural livelihoods are reportedly exploring ways to support the concept of debt-free villages through grants, awareness drives, and training programs. However, officials have also cautioned that careful financial planning and continuous monitoring will be crucial for the initiative’s long-term success.
Farmers attending Nanjundaswamy’s rallies have voiced frustration over repeated cycles of loan waivers announced during elections but never fully implemented. They see this movement as a chance to build independence from political promises and government bureaucracy. “We want dignity, not dependency,” said a farmer from Srirangapatna, reflecting a growing sentiment among rural communities. The rally’s emotional appeal lay in its call for collective strength rather than waiting for state-led rescue.
Many local NGOs and cooperatives have also expressed interest in partnering with KRRS to implement microcredit alternatives. Pilot initiatives involving community grain banks, seed exchanges, and local produce markets have already shown success in some villages. These systems have allowed farmers to rely on mutual lending networks rather than commercial banks. Nanjundaswamy has emphasized that the key to success lies in transparency, cooperation, and strong local governance.
The idea has also sparked debates among policymakers about the future of rural credit systems. Some argue that traditional lending institutions must adapt to accommodate community-led credit models instead of competing with them. Others fear that reducing reliance on banks could affect access to formal financial channels. However, Nanjundaswamy insists that loan-free villages will not isolate farmers from financial growth — rather, they will make them more discerning and self-reliant participants in the economy.
Community leaders have begun mobilizing youth volunteers to support this movement through data collection, awareness campaigns, and social media outreach. The younger generation’s involvement is being seen as vital to ensuring continuity and innovation in the model. Workshops are being held to educate rural youth about sustainable farming, cooperative entrepreneurship, and debt management. KRRS believes that with youth engagement, the movement can expand beyond agriculture and address rural employment challenges as well.
Environmental sustainability forms another core pillar of the initiative. Nanjundaswamy has repeatedly highlighted the link between debt and ecological degradation. Unsustainable farming practices, driven by chemical dependency and high input costs, have deepened the debt crisis. The loan-free model encourages organic farming, crop rotation, and local seed conservation to reduce expenses and preserve soil fertility. This integration of financial and ecological stability is expected to set a precedent for sustainable rural development.
In districts like Tumakuru and Chitradurga, local KRRS branches have already initiated savings circles where farmers deposit small weekly amounts to create a community emergency fund. These funds act as safety nets during crop failures, eliminating the need for high-interest borrowing. Early results show that such grassroots financial cooperation fosters trust and strengthens social bonds within the community. The movement’s participatory nature ensures that every villager has a stake in its success.
Chukki Nanjundaswamy’s leadership has also re-energized Karnataka’s agrarian discourse by centering women’s voices and environmental ethics. Her approach blends activism with education, ensuring that awareness accompanies every policy proposal. The movement’s inclusive philosophy has drawn support from teachers, health workers, and students who see loan-free villages as a model of holistic rural empowerment. Her emphasis on compassion and solidarity has turned what began as a farmers’ demand into a broader social awakening.
As the campaign gains traction, observers believe it could become one of the most influential rural reform movements in Karnataka’s recent history. If successful, the initiative may inspire similar efforts across other Indian states struggling with agrarian distress. Nanjundaswamy’s vision represents a profound shift — from seeking government intervention to fostering grassroots resilience. For many farmers, it is not just about economic liberation but reclaiming dignity, unity, and hope for a sustainable, self-reliant rural future.
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