Anna launches farmers’ padyatra from Palwal in Haryana against centre’s land ordinance

Chandigarh: After lying low for a long time, anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Friday began another agitation in the form of a ‘padyatra’ of farmers from Palwal in Haryana to protest against the land acquisition policy of the central government. Palwal is the historical place where Mahatma Gandhi had been arrested by the British government in April 1919 during an agitation. Haryana was chosen as the launching pad for the agitation because it had been at the centre of controversies in the last few years on the issue of dubious land acquisitions. The controversy over the DLF-Vadra land deal is still fresh in the minds of the people. Land acquisition was one of the main campaign issues during the recent assembly elections in Haryana. Several farmers who have been affected by land acquisition have been protesting against the takeover of their land for the last two to three years. [caption id=“attachment_2112601” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image.[/caption] Hazare visited Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram in Palwal at noon where he addressed farmers from 17 states before flagging off the padyatra to Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to protest against the controversial Land Acquisition Act. Hazare appealed to the Modi government to withdraw the controversial ordinance. Anna lashed out at the BJP government for removing the provisions for taking farmers’ consent before acquiring their land. Talking to the media, Anna Hazare said the Centre had done injustice to the poor farmers by allowing their land to be acquired for industrial purposes without their consent. Hazare said almost 70-80 organisations will come to Delhi to join this agitation and that it will be an indication to the Modi government that they should withdraw the ordinance. He said he will be present on 23 and 24 February at Jantar Mantar to participate in the farmers’ protest. The NGO, Ekta Parishad is the organiser of the protest movement. Among those participating in the agitation are social activists PV Rajagopal, Govindacharya, Rajendra Singh and others. Social activists Medha Patkar and Aruna Roy are also likely to participate, besides several organisations from across the country supporting Anna Hazare on the issue. Hazare left for Delhi after flagging off the padyatra. Around 15,000 farmers — from Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bihar — are expected to go on the padyatra to Delhi. They will reach Delhi on 23 February According to Deepak Goyal, convenor of Ekta Parishad, “When requested by us, Anna ji had immediately agreed to flag off the padyatra, understanding the importance of the movement.” Earlier a farmers’ body, Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sanghathan had called the Modi government’s ordinance on land acquisition, approved in December 2014, ‘Kaala Kanoon’ (black law) and demanded its withdrawal. The government had notified through the ordinance that five areas will be exempted from the requisites under the Land Acquisition Act. These areas include land acquisition for defence purposes, rural infrastructure, affordable housing and housing projects for the poor, industrial corridors and infrastructure or social infrastructure projects including those in public-private domain in which ownership of land will remain within the government. The controversial ordinance has been under attack by leaders of the Congress, Aam Admi party (AAP) and even by the RSS. Having seen BJP’s debacle in the recent Delhi assembly elections, Sangh affiliates feel the government cannot afford to ignore the sentiments of the people. Upset with Modi government’s labour reforms and the controversial land ordinance, the Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) is planning a ‘Satyagraha’ on 26 February at the district headquarters to demand implementation of a 10-point charter of demands. It may also organise a programme in this regard at Jantar Mantar. “We will support Annaji’s ‘sangharsh’. We respect him and support his stand. His struggle is, however, away from political parties. I will also try to meet Anna Hazare. I request everyone to support him in his crusade,” said senior AAP leader Kumar Vishwas. PV Rajagopal, chief of Ekta Parishad, earlier in the day had said he, along with Gandhian leader Bal Vijay, Magsaysay Award winner Rajendra Singh, former BJP ideologue KN Govindacharya, Arif Muhammad Khan and Swami Agnivesh would march from Palwal in Haryana to Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Friday. Rajagopal says they want amendment of the Land Ordinance Act, passage of the Homestead Rights Bill and implementation of the Forest Rights Act. “We want to give a warning to the government. Our fight is for the poor, they are the majority here,” Rajagopal told the media. Social and political activist, SR Hiremath, convenor of the National Committee for Protection of National Resources (NCPNR), and Samaj Parivartan Samudaya, (SPS) from Dharwad in Karnataka district, said it was wrong of the BJP government’s to bring the Land Acquisition ordinance. “The BJP government is encroaching upon the rights of the people over their land in favour of the corporate houses. But I don’t know how far Anna is right in his padyatra. Past experiences show opportunists may use the movement for serving their own purposes,” he cautioned.