Anger pours out on the streets of the capital against unconstitutional,
anti-farmer Land Ordinance
Over 350
organizations, twenty thousand farmers-workers from across country threaten
intensified stir
Delegation
met President today at 6 pm:
No
compromise on core demands to repeal Black Ordinance
Delhi: Fury and
frustration rocked the capital today, as nearly twenty thousand farmers, adivasis,
workers, fisher people and others dependent on land for their livelihood
converged from the length and breadth of the country and warned the Narendra
Modi-led NDA Government that they shall intensify their stir, if the
unconstitutional Ordinance amending the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation
Act, 2013 Act is not dropped in toto. From amidst songs and slogans, flags
and banners, representing the diversity of the social movements from across the
country, the voice that emerged was clear and united – Drop the Ordinance:
Stop Land Acquisition, Ensure Land Rights.
More than 350 organizations and networks of farmers,
workers, tribals from all the states of the Country including National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), All
Indian Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP), All India Kisan Sabha (36
Canning Lane), All India Kisan Sabha (Ajoy Bhavan), Ekta Parishad, Kisan Sagharsh Samiti, Narmada Bachao Andolan, Yuva Kranti,
Campaign for Survival and Dignity, Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan, All India
Agricultural Workers’ Union, Bharatiya Khet Mazdoor Union, Sanyukt Kisan
Sangharsh Samiti, INSAF, Delhi Solidarity Group, Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao
Andolan, Agragami Kisan Sabha, Jan Sangharsh Vahini, National Fish workers
Forum, Punjab Kisan Union participated in the protest action today.
The farmers questioned the Prime Minister as to what kind
of “Ache din” does he envisages for the
millions of small agriculturalists of the country if lakhs of farmers are
displaced by mega projects, thousands of hectares of land is handed over to private
companies and corporates and the food-security is threatened by acquisition of
multi-cropped farmland. Despite a roaring protest at the Parliament Street by thousands of farmers, the Govt. has introduced
a Bill in the Lok Sabha to legislate this Ordinance. This, the farmers said is
condemnable and undemocratic.
Anna Hazare, who sat all day along with the activists
of the different movements said that farmers and workers will have to prepare
for a long term struggle and be prepared to even go to jail. He called for a
nation-wide movement against the corporate loot of the land, which feeds the
whole country. Government must withdraw the ordinance is what we all demand and
they must do it.
Addressing the massive gathering, Medha Patkar challenged
the ‘electoral promises’ of the ruling party, which was part of the parliamentary process leading to enactment
of the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation Act, 2013. Now in ‘power’
it is seeking to sniff away the soul of the Act, by removing the key
provisions of “consent” & “social impact assessment” and manipulating the
definitions of “private entities” and “public purpose”, purely to promote business interests. Stating that the interests of farmers is supreme in a
agricultural economy like India, Anna Hazare gave a clarion call to the
farmers that this is nothing less than a Do-or-die’ battle, it is
the second war of independence, a war
for freedom from repressive government, oppressive laws and corporate control
over natural resources.
Hannan Mollah, spoke
about the need for united movement and said that the BJP-led NDA Government had
brought the draconian Ordinance to suit the interests of the Corporates and
Land Mafia. He said the BJP Government’s move will be defeated and struggles
will be launched at all sites of unjust land acquisition.
Atul Anjaan, said this Protest Rally is just
the beginning and there will be need to launch a prolonged struggle. He said
the BJP Government which is a Government of the Corporates, land mafia and builders’
lobby has dared to bring an Ordinance worse than the British Colonial Act of
1894. He said it was a political battle
and also emphasized the need to speak to all Political Parties to defeat the
Government move in Parliament too.
Representatives of numerous farmers organizations, tribal
rights groups, workers movements vented their rage at the Modi Govt’s
anti-people agenda and open invitation to profit-makers and looters to plunder
the country’s resources- land, coats, rivers, fish, minerals etc. Thousands
of farmers also shouted out slogans that they do not need “crumbs of
compensation”. The Ordinance nullifies the most significant provisions of the
2013 Act and takes it back to the pre-1994 days. The same is unacceptable, they
said. NDA government has only been launching schemes for
the corporates and private businesses but nothing of significance for farm
sector and farmers, it was felt.
Speakers also said that similar to the British, the present
Government is trying to “divide” the farmers and rulers in the interests of the
Adanis and Ambanis, who have fuelled the election campaign of the BJP. However,
we shall stay united in our demand for a complete revocation of the Ordinance,
they said. If Ambani, Adani are your side, Birsa, Munda are on our said,
roared an adivasi woman leader. All
the protestors expressed a common resolve that “We will not let Modi-Govt.
snatch our rights and take India back to pre-independence days”.
Various speakers condemned the unparliamentarily ‘Ordinance Raj’ in
every sector, be it land, coal, mining, insurance, motor vehicles and derided
the Governance through Ordinance mechanism, by-passing both the Parliament and
the People. Leaders and representatives of various political parties and their
affiliated organizations also expressed their solidarity with the demands of
the farmers and demanded that the Ordinance be revoked. Retd. Jst. Rajinder
Sacher, Adv. Sanjay Parikh and many other academicians, advocates, activists
visited the dharna site and expressed solidarity.
Protest actions to continue through the
Budget Session:
Various Farmers Organizations including
Akhil Bhartiya Kisansabha, Agragami Kisan Sabha, All India Agricultural
Workers’ Union, Bharatiya Khet Mazdoor Union etc. and People’s Movements have
resolved that the struggle against the Ordinance shall continue, rather
intensify in the days to come in every state and every district. While hundreds
of Gram Sabhas across the country have already passed resolutions, thousands
more shall do so shortly. “We will not allow NDA Govt. to legislate this Black
Ordinance by brute force, “they resolved.
Delegation Meets President:
The farmers leaders also said that while President’s statement in his
budget speech that his “government attaches
paramount importance to safeguard the interest and well-being of farmers and
families affected by land acquisition”, is welcome, his ‘approval’ of the Ordinance,
which is fundamentally anti-farmer is unacceptable. In the same speech, he has
liberally endorsed the “Make in India”, “Single-Window Clearance” and “Ease
of Business” and “Smart City Programme” as hallmarks of ‘his Government’. All
these approaches will sound the death-knell of the farming and working classes
of this country and destroy our natural resources, to the detriment of
generations. A delegation including Hannan Mollah, Atul Kumar Anjaan, Medha
Patkar, Sunilam, Roma Malik, Rakesh Rafik, Vijoo Krishnan and Harpal Singh met
the President today evening and exhorted him to resolve the ongoing impasse in
the interests of the toiling peasants of the country and use his “highest
constitutional office” to ensure that the Ordinance is not legislated. The
President expressed sympathies for the Farmers in distress and said he would
send the Memorandum to the Government (Copy of the Memorandum is attached).
The protest also witnessed the participation of a large number of young
people and women, small farmers and tribals signaling that this movement shall
be led by these people in the coming days Simultaneous protests and demonstrations,
burning of the Ordinance etc. were organised across the country in Patna,
Lucknow, Ludhiana, Bhubaneshwar and many other places.
Photos from Dharna https://www.flickr.com/photos/joeathialy/sets/72157651000927802/ Credit Joe Athialy
===============================================
National Alliance of People’s MovementsNational Office : 6/6, Jangpura B, Mathura Road, New Delhi 110014
Phone : 011 24374535 Mobile : 09818905316
Web : www.napm-india.org | napmindia@gmail.com
National Alliance of People’s MovementsNational Office : 6/6, Jangpura B, Mathura Road, New Delhi 110014
Phone : 011 24374535 Mobile : 09818905316
Web : www.napm-india.org | napmindia@gmail.com
Facebook : www.facebook.com/NAPMindia
Twitter : @napmindia
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