Massive Rally In Delhi : Government Set To Withdraw Land (Amendment) Bill, 2015 In Budget Session
By National Alliance of People’s Movements
24 February, 2016
Countercurrents.org
More than 5000 people from different social movements, workers unions, fishworkers, forest workers, farmer organizations, from across 15 different states of the country gathered at Jantar Mantar today under the banner of Bhumi Adhikar Andolan(BAA) in order to assert their rights and send a clear message to the government that the people of this country will oppose the loot of natural resources and the violation of human dignity. We forcefully assert resistance to Corporate land grab and claim land rights.
The NDA government issued the Land Ordinance three times and each time they had to retreat. We consider this to be a victory that the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill, 2015 will be withdrawn during this budget session. Agricultural Workers, adivasis, dalits and workers unions across India have spearheaded this struggle.
Addressing the gathering, representatives from different organizations spoke about the violations of our constitutional rights. From making attempts at diluting progressive laws like the Forest Rights Act 2006, increasing farmer suicides in different states, to the shocking attacks in Chhattisgarh on adivasis and the increasing attack on educational spaces, the social activists said that today there exist a nexus between the communal powers that preach hate politics and corporates that plunder our resources. They want to break the solidarity of people who have taken a stand against their practices. On the one hand, whistleblowers, human rights defenders, journalists and activists across the country are targeted, beaten up and portrayed as ‘anti-national’ elements while defaulting corporations are given tax exemptions to the tunes of thousands of crores.The contempt of environment laws and its portrayal as a ‘hurdle to development’ by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change makes it clear that the government is ignorant towards the voices of the people.
Our key demands :
1. Withdraw Land (Amendment) Bill 2015. No to forced land acquisition, we demand land rights.
2. Implement Land Act, 2013 and stop illegal changes to it and withdraw any sanctions given to State Acts violating the Central Act.
3. Stop forced land acquisitions in the name of land pooling and other means by various state governments.
4. Stop tampering with the Forest Rights Act, 2006 and ensure its effective and timely implementation.
5. Find effective ways to tackle the agrarian crisis immediately ensure right support prices for the produce and compensate crop loss.
6. Complete the unfinished agenda of land reforms, implement land ceiling, provide housing rights for poor and stop forced evictions at any cost.
7. Stop attempting changes to MGNREGA, rollback cuts in budget allocation and ensure 300 days work and 300 Rs wages daily.
8. Stop implementing T S Subramanian Committee recommendations and changes to environmental laws.
9. No to labour laws relaxations, ensure labour rights.
10. Take measures to stop violence against women and ensure their property rights.
11. Stop harassing people in name of false nationalist hysteria and arrest rise of fascist Hindutva forces.
Senior leader asserted that Bhumi Adhikar Andolan will force the government to recognize and accept these demands. Medha Patkar (Narmada Bachao Andolan-NAPM), Hannan Mollah (All India Kisan Sabha, 36 Canning Lane), Roma and Ashok Chowdhury (All India Union of Forest Working People), Atul Anjan (AIKS, Ajoy Bhawan)Prem Singh (All India Kisan Mahasabha),Prafulla Samantra (National Alliance of Peoples' Movements), Dr. Sunilam, (Kisan Sangharsh Samiti), Yogendra Yadav (Jai Kisan Andolan),Suneet Chopra (All India Agricultural Workers Union), Richa Singh (Allahabad University Students Union), Kavita Srivastava (Right to Food Campaign), AK Khan (Katni, MP), Aradhana Bhargav (Chindwara, MP), Capt Shekhawat, Virendra Vidrohi, P C Tiwari (Uttarakhand) Krishna Prasad (All India Kisaan Sabha), R K Sharma (SUCI), Gautam Mody (NTUI), Ramzan Chaudhary, Dayamani Barla (Jharkhand), Ashok Shrimali (Mines Minerals and People), Ravi Rabbapragada (Samata), , Sunil Fauji (Sanyukt Kisan Sangharsh Morcha), Varsha Bela and other leaders from Bhartiya Kisan Union(Apolitical Real), Akhil Bhartiya Krishak Khet Mazdoor Sangathan, Jan Sangharsh Samanvaya Samiti, INSAF, All India Farmer Workers Union, All India Kisan Mahasabha, Chattisgarh Bachao Andolan, Mine Minerals and Peoples (MM&P), Madhya Pradesh Aadivasi Ekta Mahasabha, Kisan Mannch, Vindhya People’s Movement Support Group, Lok Sangharsh Morcha Sanyukt Kisan Sangharsh Samiti spoke at the protest.
People with different struggles from tea plantations in West Bengal and affected people of lower Suktel dam in Orissa, those affected by Adani project in Chindwara, power plants in Katni, displaced by Sardar Sarovar Dam on Narmada, people being evicted form forests in UP, MP and Bihar and many others shared their tale of resistance and state oppression and constant denial of their due rights.
The gathering was also addressed by various Members of Parliament - Raghuvansh Prasad former Union Cabinet Minister, Ministry for Rural Development, Dharamveer Gandhi, Jitendra Chaudhary, Ali Anwar, Tapan Sen and M B Rajesh, and ex MP Subhashini Ali,who promised to raise the people's issues in the parliament.
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