NAPM to provide support to Anna Hazare for agitation against land ordinance if it's not withdrawn

By Our Representative
The National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), which is behind several agitations across India against the controversial land acquisition ordinance, has said there cannot be any compromise on the demand for repealing it. Pointing to media reports that the NDA government is “rethinking” on the ordinance ahead of the budget session starting Monday, the NAPM has said, “There is no question of any compromise. The ordinance takes away safeguards to farmers and project affected families by removing the key provisions of consent and social impact assessment”.
“The government is engaging in false propaganda that the new ordinance is beneficial to farmers and is necessary for the creation of the rural infrastructure like drinking water, electricity, roads and houses for the poor. The evidence suggests otherwise. It promulgated to provide boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make in India campaign and remove supposedly billions of dollars investment stuck due to land related problems.”, the NAPM said.
Pointing out that the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 Act was a result of the “consensus developed over a period of nearly 30 years”, the NAPM wondered what was “the urgency to bring in an ordinance without consulting anyone.” It added, “Land Ordinance will seriously impact the food security of the country, since it will allow acquisition of the multi-crop land at a fast pace.”
The NAPM insisted, “The land ordinance is not about welfare of farmers but about serving corporate interests.” In fact, since it came to power, “the NDA government has only been launching schemes for the corporates and private businesses but nothing of significance for farm sector and farmers”, it added.
Calling for complete repeal of the ordinance, the NAPM said, “The agitation of the farmers’ organizations, people's movements, trade unions and others on February 24 will be held unless and until the land ordinance is repealed completely. About 5,000-strong foot march of the Ekta Parishad will converge at Jantar Mantar and will be joined by Anna Hazare and others.”
Apart from NAPM, those who will participate in the rally include All Indian Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP), Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Sabha, Narmada Bachao Andolan, Yuva Kranti, Campaign for Survival and Dignity, Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan, Jan Pahal, Kisan Sagharsh Samiti, Jan Sangharsh Samnvay Samiti, Delhi Solidarity Group, Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan, National Fishworker’s Forum, Rashtriya Mazdoor Kisan Sangathan and others.
Simultaneous protests and demonstrations have also been planned at Patna, Lucknow and Ludhiana.

Comments

Junk food push causing severe public health crisis of obesity, diabetes in India: Report

By Rajiv Shah A new report , “The Junk Push: Rising Consumption of Ultra-processed foods in India- Policy, Politics and Reality”, public health experts, consumers groups, lawyers, youth and patient groups, has called upon the Government of India to check the soaring consumption of High Fat Sugar or Salt (HFSS) foods or ultra-processed foods (UPF), popularly called junk food.

Avoidable Narmada floods: Modi birthday fete caused long wait for release of dam waters

Counterview Desk Top advocacy group, South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), has accused the Sardar Sarovar dam operators for once again acting in an "unaccountable" manner, bringing "avoidable floods in downstream Gujarat." In a detailed analysis, SANDRP has said that the water level at the Golden Bridge in Bharuch approached the highest flood level on September 17, 2023, but these "could have been significantly lower and much less disastrous" both for the upstream and downstream areas of the dam, if the authorities had taken action earlier based on available actionable information.

From 'Naatu-Naatu' to 'Nipah-Nipah': Dancing to the tune of western pipers?

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD* Some critics have commented that the ecstatic response of most Indians to the Oscar for the racy Indian song, “Naatu-Naatu” from the film, “RRR” reeks of sheer racism, insulting visuals and a colonial hangover. It was perhaps these ingredients that impressed the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, one critic says.

Astonishing? Violating its own policy, Barclays 'refinanced' Adani Group's $8 billion bonds

By Rajiv Shah A new report released by two global NGOs, BankTrack and the Toxic Bonds Network, has claimed to have come up with “a disquieting truth”: that Barclays, a financial heavyweight with a “controversial” track record, is deeply entrenched in a “disturbing” alliance with “the Indian conglomerate and coal miner Adani Group.”

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Insider plot to kill Deendayal Upadhyay? What RSS pracharak Balraj Madhok said

By Shamsul Islam* Balraj Madhok's died on May 2, 2016 ending an era of old guards of Hindutva politics. A senior RSS pracharak till his death was paid handsome tributes by the RSS leaders including PM Modi, himself a senior pracharak, for being a "stalwart leader of Jan Sangh. Balraj Madhok ji's ideological commitment was strong and clarity of thought immense. He was selflessly devoted to the nation and society. I had the good fortune of interacting with Balraj Madhok ji on many occasions". The RSS also issued a formal condolence message signed by the Supremo Mohan Bhagwat on behalf of all swayamsevaks, referring to his contribution of commitment to nation and society. He was a leading RSS pracharak on whom his organization relied for initiating prominent Hindutva projects. But today nobody in the RSS-BJP top hierarchy remembers/talks about Madhok as he was an insider chronicler of the immense degeneration which was spreading as an epidemic in the high echelons of th

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah* The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

Asset managers hold '2.8 times more equity' in fossil fuel cos than in green investments

By Deepanwita Gita Niyogi* The world’s largest asset managers are far off track to meet the 2050 net zero commitments , a new study released by InfluenceMap , a London-based think tank working on climate change and sustainability, says. Released on August 1, the Asset Managers and Climate Change 2023 report by FinanceMap, a work stream of InfluenceMap, finds that the world’s largest asset managers have not improved on their climate performance in the past two years.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Search This Blog