AIKS to conduct tionwide rally against land acquisition ordince

From Our Correspondent

Silchar, May 4: The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has decided to conduct a massive tionwide ‘Bhoomi Adhikar Sangharash’ rally on Tuesday against the anti-peasant and anti-people stance taken by the rendra Modi led NDA Government regarding the land acquisition ordince taken by it. This information was given to The Sentinel through a press-release signed by Amra Ram, president and Hann Mollah, general secretary, through the Barak Valley unit of the AIKS. The leaders and supporters of the AIKS will assemble in the rsingtola ground in the morning followed by a procession to the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar where they would organize a protest demonstration against the land acquisition ordince taken by the government.

  The Sabha expressed their deep anguish the autocratic manner in which the NDA Government has gone ahead with the re-issuing of the land acquisition ordince ignoring the massive wave of protests against it and also lack of support in the Rajya Sabha for the amendments moved by the Government. They further said, the move comes at a time when peasantry across the country is reeling under the affect of total crop-loss in the unseasol rains as well as hailstorm. The Government instead of effectively dealing with the crop-loss in over 2 crore hectares of land, is trying to benefit the corporate companies and land mafia.

  AIKS also said, the NDA Government’s move to create a special category of projects which are exempted from the need to seek consent of the affected people or the requirement of conducting Social Impact Assessment prior to acquisition, and removal of the bar on acquisition of multi-cropped agricultural land will have serious consequences on livelihoods of the peasantry, agricultural workers and other dependents on land. The expansion of industrial corridors to include land upto one kilometre on either side of the desigted road or railway track for such corridors will open up huge tracts of land for acquisition without any safeguards. The common property resources and agricultural land as well as human settlements will be threatened. It will irreparably compromise the food security of the country. This move will only benefit the corporates, real estate lobby and land mafia.

  The Sabha stated that the government is trying to mislead the people by saying that there would be mandatory employment for farm labour and claiming that it will try to ensure that “bare minimum required” land will be acquired for such Projects. The Sabha said, these are both drawn from the earlier provisions of the social impact assessment provisions with the aim of misleading and creating confusion in the minds of people.

  All India Kisan Sabha along with All India Agricultural Workers’ Union, Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch and a host of organizations of the peasantry, agricultural workers, Adivasis and working people have decided to take forward the struggle in a united manner against the land acquisition ordince, which will be extended further against indiscrimite land acquisition as well as for land rights. They have decided to take forward the struggle jointly under the banner of ‘Bhoomi Adhikar Sangharsh Abhiyan Movement’ for land rights.

  In this respect the Sabha will organize a series of state level conventions, mass mobilization of people and ‘Pada Yatras’ in all the states of the country. It will also collect 5 crore sigture against the ordince passed by the government. The Sabha will also demand a return of the land acquired by the government which is yet lying unutilized through a ‘Zameen Wapsi’ campaign.

 The struggle will be further intensified if the Government continues to ignore the people’s opinion and takes an anti-peasant, anti-people stance.