Ahmedabad convention on land rights begins amidst warning: "Enemy" is very strong, there's need for unity

By A Representative
A three-day national convention on land rights began on Saturday at Ahmedabad's Gujarat Vidyapeeth, a university founded by Mahatma Gandhi, with its top speakers, politicians and activists, raising pitch in favour of “uniting” forces of different ideological persuasions in order to take the battle against “indiscriminate” land acquisition to Indian states and corporate "loot".
Held under the banner of Bhumi Bachao Andolan (BAA), the speakers – CPI-M politburo member Hannan Mollah, Anil Chaudhary of Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF), Ashok Chaudhury of the All India Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP), Medha Patkar of the Narmada Bachao Andolan, and Kanu Kalsaria of the Aam Aadmi Party – agreed that under the new political dispensation it is “no more possible to fight alone.”
Held against the backdrop of aborted “efforts” of the Maharashtra government to brand the convention as a move of Naxalites to make inroads into Gujarat, Ashok Chaudhury of AIUFWP said, “This was a recognition of the strength acquired by the people's movements across India. So wary have the rulers become that they brand anyone raising voice for land rights as Naxalite.”
Warning people's movements against any effort to adopt Naxalites' tactics, Chaudhury said, “We have to fight for our rights through democratic means, because if one takes up arms, things become very for those in power to suppress any demands.
Chaudhury also called for conceptual clarity, stressing, when one talks of land rights, it is not just land but natural resources dependent on land – water, jungle and minerals – all those who are dependent on them. “We have still failed to take our fight forward, as desired”, he said.
Identifying the Narendra Modi government as “the enemy”, Mollah said, it is “very strong” and is trying to “not just become increasingly powerful in India, but also across the world by influencing the World Trade Organization, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.” He added, “Its policy is not kisan-based but corporate-based.”
Pointing towards how the overall atmosphere has changed as a result of the allegedly as a result economic reforms begun in 1991, Mollah said, “There was a time when at least court judgments used to be pro-poor. Now, this is changed. Strikes are declared illegal. Land acquisition for a national highway is allowed without consent of the affected farmers.”
Mollah said, following all-round opposition, the amendments to the Land Acquisition Act (LAA), 2013 – to drop the consent and social impact assessment clauses – may have been dropped. “But the amendments haven't been withdrawn from Parliament. States have been allowed to come up with their own laws on lines of the amendments proposed for LAA, 2013.”
Pointing out that several states – including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Odisha – have already come up with their own laws, Mollah said, it hasn't been possible for land rights organizations to take the fight to states. “We have failed”, he admitted.
Seeking a “broader unity” keeping aside ideological considerations, Mollah's view found an echo from civil rights organizations participants. “It's a long road, and the destination is far away”, said Anil Chaudhary of INSAF, a network of large number of of people's groups.
Suggesting that people's organizations would need to work out ways to unite and fight for land rights, Chaudhary said, “People are becoming restive, but India is very large. Every week people fighting for land rights are being killed, and there is a need to keep a pace the developing situation.”

Comments

Is vaccine the Voldemort of modern medicine to be left undiscussed, unscrutinised?

By Deepika* Sridhar Vembu of Zoho stirred up an internet storm by tweeting about the possible link of autism to the growing number of vaccines given to children in India . He had only asked the parents to analyse the connection but doctors, so called public health experts vehemently started opposing Vembu's claims, labeling them "dangerous misinformation" that could erode “vaccine trust”!

Budgam by-poll to decide if National Conference still holds the ground in J&K

By Raqif Makhdoomi “Zoun ho Zoun ho, PDP’an Zoun ho” — the chant echoes through the streets of Budgam as election fever grips the district. Despite the dipping temperatures, people continue to gather at late-night rallies with enthusiasm. The slogan gained popularity during the 2024 assembly elections when People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti, while campaigning, inadvertently mispronounced it as “Zoon ho Zoon ho,” a moment that went viral and has since become a fixture in local political rallies.

Justice for Zubeen Garg: Fans persist as investigations continue in India and Singapore

By Nava Thakuria* Even a month after the death of Assam’s cultural icon Zubeen Garg in Singapore under mysterious circumstances, thousands of his fans and admirers across eastern India continue their campaign for “ JusticeForZubeenGarg .” A large digital campaign has gained momentum, with over two million social media users from around the world demanding legal action against those allegedly responsible. Although the Assam government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which has arrested seven people, and a judicial commission headed by Justice Soumitra Saikia of the Gauhati High Court to oversee the probe, public pressure for justice remains strong.

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

From the black liberation struggle to exile: The story of Assata Shakur

By Harsh Thakor* Assata Shakur , former member of the Black Liberation Army and a prominent figure in the Black liberation movement , died on September 25 in Havana, Cuba , at the age of 78.

Where are the graphs for the emergency? The missing data behind the climate crisis narrative

By Bhaskaran Raman Ever so often, we are reminded by the media that we are living in a “climate emergency.” This especially happens after every natural disaster, such as after the recent floods in North India. While nature’s fury and its victims are not trifling matters, is there anything new about this that warrants a declaration of “crisis” or “emergency”?

What happens when cricket is turned into 'dharmayudh' between India and others

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* India ‘lost’ the World Cup. Winning or losing is part of the game, but what happens when the game becomes part of the political propaganda and the audiences are not sports lovers but fans who hate others? An Uttar Pradesh daily gave a headline for the final game as ‘dharmyudh’. The game of cricket is being used for political purpose. As cricket is a powerful business in the country, every non-playing dignitary in the game earns much bigger sum than the player.

Govt claims about 'revolutionary' rice varieties raise eyebrows: SC order reserved since Jan '24

By Rosamma Thomas * In a matter of grave importance for agriculture, public health awaits Supreme Court ruling, even as top Government of India bureaucrats stand accused of “willful and deliberate disobedience” of the top court. While a contempt petition filed by Aruna Rodrigues , lead petitioner in the Genetic Modification (GM) of crops matter remains pending in the Supreme Court since July 2025, the Union ministry of agriculture asserts that two home-grown gene edited rice varieties are of superior quality, and hold potential for “revolutionary changes in higher production, climate adaptability, and water conservation.” In May 2025, the Press Information Bureau released a press release stating that a “historic milestone” had been reached, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ; the new varieties, DRR Rice 100 (Kamla) and Pusa DST Rice 1 , the press release stated, offer both benefits – increased production and environmental conservation.

Ex-civil servants warn of ecological disaster, demand fiscal support for Himalayan states

By A Representative The Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG), a collective of 103 former civil servants, has written to Dr. Arvind Panagariya , Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission, urging that the Commission give special consideration to the ecological fragility and economic vulnerability of India’s Himalayan states . The group has called for the creation of a substantial “ Green Fund ” or “Green Bonus” to compensate these states for their contribution to the country’s environmental stability and national well-being.

Search This Blog