Workers' bodies unite under one umbrella to oppose Land Acquisition Bill

From a correspondent

Silchar, July 28: The district units of AITUC, CITU, UTUC and INTUC as well as BMS have decided to come under one umbrella to protest against the Land Acquisition Bill amendment proposed by the rendra Modi led NDA Government. A meeting was held in this regard at the premises of CITU central office here recently. In the meeting the workers’ bodies have jointly decided to organize a public convention at Women’s College Silchar on August 23 to raise awareness about the contentious Bill. A rally would also be held on September 1 in protest against it.

 The members alleged that the Land Acquisition Bill amendment is totally anti-farmer and anti-poor. The workers bodies have called for a broad-based united struggle against the Centre on this issue. They have also termed the ordince put by NDA as ‘black ordince’. “The Modi Government has shown its true colours by adopting the ordince route to pass the Bill in its eagerness to satiate the demands of corporate houses and MNCs,” said Debojit Das, a CITU executive member.

 The Land Acquisition Bill has already created anger among people. The resentment is becoming sharper and sharper. If government doesn’t realize, it will turn into a great all India movement. The proposed legislation removes the need for obtaining consent of land-owners and also any assessment of its social impact for acquiring land under certain categories, precisely the provisions, which have evoked wide spread criticism from responsible corners. The poor farmers are not getting their due payment for the crops produced, Das pointed out.

 The members added that the government is working only for the interests of the corporate class instead of the poor and common masses of the country. And this is all the more justified than any other logic or argument to oppose the Bill tooth and il. The union leader of different trade bodies have decided to forge a common bond to make the movement more directed and intensified to move the NDA Government to read the feelings and pulse of common people, farmers and land holders, against the very adverse impact of such a Bill. Leaders present in the meeting include Kishore Bhattacharjee, Rafiq Ahmed, Supriyo Bhattacharjee, Manobendra Paityo, Subrata th and Haidar Hussain among others.