NO LAND ORDINANCE! WE DEMAND LAND RIGHTS!
Signature campaign for Withdraw Land Acquisition Bill/Ordinance. New Ordinance of 3rd April2015 {READ} [DOWNLOAD]
Signature campaign for Withdraw Land Acquisition Bill/Ordinance. New Ordinance of 3rd April2015 {READ} [DOWNLOAD]
To protest amendments
in Land Acquisition Act 2013, forcible land acquisition and Land Acquisition
Ordinance 2014,
‘CHALO DILLI’ on 24th February
2015
Massive rally of farmers, workers,
fishworkers and urban poor
Friends,
The
constitution is based on principles of equality, justice, brotherhood and
socialism for all citizens and yet our nation’s farmers, agricultural labourers
and working class have been suffering from displacement and unemployment for
decades. Communities that live off their hard labour and are dependent on
nature have from time to time struggled and compelled elected representatives
and the country’s governments to pass pro-people legislations.
Through
the relentless opposition and struggles by the people’s movements across the
country, the UPA government was obligated to change the draconian law of the
British-era, the Land Acquisition Act of 1894, and thereafter, the Right to
Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and
Resettlement Act 2013 was brought in. People’s movements had demanded the
democratic process of mandatory consent from gram sabha, basti sabha, farmers,
peasants and fishworkers before land acquisition proceedings; minimum
displacement in every project and guaranteed employment to the displaced; no
use of cultivated land for non-agricultural purposes, only barren land for
industry purposes; use of urgency clause in disaster situations only; complete
stop to forcible acquisition of land belonging to farmers and adivasis and its transfer to industrialists in the
name of development while actually encouraging brazen loot and landlordism;
acknowledgement of the rights of landless over land/pastures & rights of fishworkers
over coastal areas and inclusion of communities in the planning process.
What
are the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act 2013?
While
some of the demands of people’s movements were included in the 2013 Land
Acquisition Act, majority of the demands were kept out of its purview. Some
important provisions such as consent from 70% of the farmers affected by
acquisition for private and public-private-partnership (PPP) projects; no
acquisition of multi-crop land keeping in mind food security; an assessment of
the social and environmental impact of the project with the participation of
the gram sabha; and using the urgency clause only in the case of a natural
calamity were included.
However, despite
rehabilitation being combined with land acquisition in the 2013 legislation,
the question of alternative livelihood for the affected was not resolved. 2.5
acres of land for SC/ST families displaced by irrigation projects and only 1
acre for the rest; if possible, a job or an equivalent 5 lakh rupees compensation
for youth of affected families; and compensation of two or four times the
market or government rate were included. An important provision says that if
the land continues to be in possession of the original owners for more than
five years after acquisition and they have refused compensation then it shall
be returned to them.
The
ordinance has failed the basic democratic structure and planning
The
Ordinance Raj that began soon after Narendra Modi came to power has put an end
to the pro-people provisions of the legislation. In the land ordinance, it is
not required to have consent of landed farmers even in the case of acquisition
for private projects and includes provisions to give multi-crop land for
industry as well. Companies are allowed to acquire land for all kinds of
official and PPP projects as well as institutions such as private hospitals and
schools. Despite retaining rehabilitation and compensation provisions, the
bitter truth is that higher compensation cannot provide an alternative
livelihood. The ordinance has been introduced by the centre’s BJP government so
that industrialists, Indian and foreign companies and builders can construct
industrial corridors, open mines and accumulate real estate profits in the name
of building cheap housing for the poor by grabbing farmers’ lands. 3,90,000
square hectares of agricultural land is being seized from the hands of farmers
for the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor alone and transferred to companies.
Bulldozer
attacks on slums of cities like Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Ranchi are increasing
at an alarming rate. Thousands of hectares of land belonging to the public are
being looted to increase the breadth and luster of cities. Communities whose
survival is linked to nature are being destroyed and the process of amending
environmental laws, provisions of legal regulations, labour laws, forest laws,
employment guarantee and food security laws has already begun and all this
happening just to secure the wealth of the new landlords – Ambani, Adani, Tata,
Mittal.
Friends,
the current central government is handing over the country’s resources to
Indian and foreign companies while dividing the society on caste, religious
lines and challenging a secular, socialist and just constitution. This is a
gross violation of people, democracy and the nation’s constitution.
It
is the need of the hour to unite in a decisive struggle to oppose the state’s
anti-people ordinances.
We will not tolerate this!
v Cancel anti-people ordinances!
v No conversion of these ordinances into legislations
through the Parliament!
v Stop grabbing land of farmers and fishworkers, effectively
cease forcible land acquisition!
v Stop corporatization of governance and development. Put
an end to the devastation of villages and slums!
Massive rally at Jantar Mantar on 24th
February in support of these demands!
‘Hazaaron hazaaron ki uthegi awaaz, khatam
karo punji ka raj!’
Put an end to Ordinance Raj!
National Alliance of People’s Movements, All India
Union of Forest Working People, Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan, Ekta
Parishad, Yuva Kranti, Jan Sangharsh Samanvay Samiti, Chhatisgarh Bachao
Andolan, Jan Pahal, Kisan Sangarsh Samiti, Sanyukt Kisan Sangarsh Samiti,
Narmada Bachao Andolan, INSAF, Delhi Solidarity Group, Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao
Andolan, Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Sabha
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