Gujarat govt refuses to concede farmers' demand to denotify Bhechraji-Mandal SIR

By A Representative

Gujarat government has refused to accept the main demand of the Jameen Adhikar Andolan Gujarat (JAAG) for cancellation of the special investment region (SIR) notification for the Bhechraji-Mandal SIR, proposed as an industrial hub spread over 44 villages encompassing 530 sq km. A JAAG communique, following a meeting between JAAG representatives in Gandhinagar with a ministerial committee appointed by Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi to look into JAAG demands, said, "The ministers categorically refused to entertain the demand for withdrawal of the SIR notification."JAAG communique also suggested that the only "assurance" the ministers gave was the continue farming for the next three or four years, till SIR starts being implemented. Till that point, the area would be remain agricultural zone. JAAG made it clear that the "proposition is not acceptable to the movement and the people." Sources added, as for the demand to completely repeal the SIR Act, promulgated in 2009, another JAAG demand, the ministers flatly refused to entertain it altogether.
The SIR Act gives special powers to convert the entire SIR into a notified area, with a special authority having powers to overrule any decisions of local self-governing bodies. The Act, in fact, empowers the authority in such a way that it need not consult panchayats or gram sabhas before acquiring any piece of land for industrial use. This was the main reason why people 44 villages came together to begin protesting against the SIR Act in general and the Bhechraji-Mandal SIR in particular.
In view of "adamant" attitude of the Gujarat government, JAAG decided to hold next round of planning. It will "share the news and analysis with the people and to plan for the future on August 2, 2013 at village Vasna at 3 pm", the communique said. Significantly, Modi during his meeting with JAAG leaders on July 10, 2013, has assured that the demands of the people would be "respected". JAAG representatives were given the impression that Modi was talking in the context of withdrawal of the SIR notification.
Following the meeting, the Gujarat government constituted a four-member ministerial team to look into all the aspects of the proposed SIR and take a decision by August 15. The committee comprised of finance minister Nitin Patel, revenue minister Anandiben Patel, energy minister Saurabh Patel and education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, and it was made known to the protesting farmers that decision on Bhechraji-Mandal SIR would "not be taken in haste." However, things have moved the other way, and farmers are feeling "cheated", local leaders said.
Observers felt, Modi's main idea was to buy time so that the farmers' agitation became weak. He moved in to intervene after farmers of 44 villages continuously protested against the state government's decision to go ahead with the implementation of the SIR in the region. Farmers were expressing the fear that about 50,880 hectares of land would be diverted for industrial use. State government knew -- stakes were high. The new Maruti car plant is proposed in this region, at Hansalpur village on Viramgam -Becharaji highway.
Though farmers were not immediately opposing Maruti’s 640-acre plant at Hansalpur, they were against the idea of their fertile land being acquired for development of an industrial hub. Among their main demands was not to decommand the area which came under the Narmada command area. The state government had already moved to decommand a huge portion of the of the area from the Narmada command area, 2,922.68 hectares (ha) in Mandal and Detroj talukas in Ahmedabad district, and more was to follow.

Comments

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Kolkata dialogue flags policy and finance deficit in wetland sustainability

By A Representative Wetlands were the focus of India–Germany climate talks in Kolkata, where experts from government, business, and civil society stressed both their ecological importance and the urgent need for stronger conservation frameworks.

Beyond Lata: How Asha Bhosle redefined the female voice with her underrated versatility

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The news of iconic Asha Bhosle’s ‘untimely’ demise has shocked music lovers across the country. Asha Tai was 92 years young. Normally, people celebrate a passing at this age, but Asha Bhosle—much like another legend, Dev Anand—never made us feel she was growing old. She was perhaps the most versatile artist in Bombay cinema. Hailing from a family devoted to music, Asha’s journey to success and fame was not easy. Her elder sister, Lata Mangeshkar, had already become the voice of women in cinema, and most contemporaries like Shamshad Begum, Suraiya, and Noor Jehan had slowly faded into oblivion. Frankly, there was no second or third to Lata Mangeshkar; she became the first—and perhaps the only—choice for music directors and all those who mattered in filmmaking. Asha started her musical journey at age 10 with a Marathi film, but her first break in Hindustani cinema came with the film "Chunariya" (1948). Though she was not the first choice of ...

Maoist activity in India: Weakening structures, 'shifts' in leadership, strategy and ideology

By Harsh Thakor* Recent statements by government representatives have suggested that Maoism in India has been effectively eliminated, citing the weakening of central leadership and intensified security operations. These claims follow sustained counterinsurgency efforts across key regions, including central and eastern India. However, available information from security agencies and independent observers indicates that while the organizational structure of the CPI (Maoist) has been significantly disrupted, elements of the movement remain active. Reports acknowledge the continued presence of cadres in certain forested regions such as Bastar and parts of Dandakaranya, alongside smaller, decentralized units adapting their operational strategies.

'Fraudulent': Ex-civil servants urge President to halt Odisha tribal land dispossession

By A Representative A collective of 81 retired civil servants from the Constitutional Conduct Group has written to the President of India expressing alarm over what they describe as the wrongful dispossession of tribal lands in Odisha’s Rayagada district. The letter, dated April 19, 2026, highlights violent clashes in Kantamal village where police personnel reportedly injured over 70 tribal residents attempting to protect their community rights.

From Manesar to Noida: Workers take to streets for bread, media looks away

By Sunil Kumar* Across several states in India, a workers’ movement is gathering momentum. This is not a movement born of luxury or ambition, nor a demand for power-sharing within the state. At its core lies a stark and basic plea: the right to survive with dignity—adequate food, and wages sufficient to afford it.

Dhandhuka violence: Gujarat minority group seeks judicial action, cites targeted arson

By A Representative The Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) Gujarat has written to the Director General of Police seeking judicial action in connection with recent violence in Dhandhuka town of Ahmedabad district, alleging targeted attacks on properties belonging to members of the Muslim community following a fatal altercation between two bike riders on April 18.

Midnight weeping: The sociology of tragic vision in Badri Narayan’s poetry

By Ravi Ranjan* Badri Narayan, a distinguished Hindi poet and social scientist, occupies a unique position in contemporary Indian intellectual life by bridging the worlds of creative literature and critical social inquiry. His poetic journey began significantly with the 1993 collection 'Saca Sune Hue Kaï Dina Hue' (Truth Heard Many Days Ago). As a social historian and cultural anthropologist, Narayan pioneered a methodological shift away from elite archives toward the oral traditions and folk myths of marginalized communities. He eventually legitimized "folk-ethnography" as a rigorous academic discipline during his tenure as Director of the G.B. Pant Social Science Institute.

Why link women’s reservation to delimitation? The unspoken political calculus

By Vikas Meshram* April 16, 2026, is likely to be recorded as a special day in the history of Indian democracy. In a three-day special session of Parliament, the central government is set to introduce a comprehensive package of three historic bills: the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026; the Delimitation Bill, 2026; and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The stated purpose of all three is the same: to implement the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (106th Constitutional Amendment) passed in 2023. However, the political intent concealed behind these measures — and their impact on the federal balance — is far more profound. It is absolutely essential to understand this.

Counterview

Search This Blog