Skip to main content

Farmers off Ahmedabad to protest on June 8 against 625 sq km "snatched away" in the name of urban infrastructure

Sabar Rabari leading a farmers' rally off Ahmedabad
By Our Representative
The Khedut Samaj Gujarat (KSG), a non-political farmers’ organization, has declared that, under its leadership, a farmers’ rally would be taken out from Dabhala Chowkadi, off Ahmedabad, to Gandhinagar on June 8 to voice their concern about “refusal” of the Gujarat government to return the land taken away from them in the name of urbanization.
Essentially a vehicles rally in which farmers would come in tractor, cars and motorcycles, KSG said, it plans to hand over a memorandum to Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani in Gandhinagar, demanding withdrawal of the 2009 notification, which declared about 625 sq km as part of the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA).
Sabar Rabari, convener, KSG, said in a statement, he, accompanied by farmers’ representatives first met AUDA chairman Bhupendra Patel a fortnight ago, and then deputy chief minister Nitin Patel – who also happens to be urban development minister – last week to apprise them of their demand, but “they do not seem to give an ear the demand.”
No doubt, Rabari told Counterview, Bhupendra Patel, who is a local BJP leader of Ahmedabad and a builder, admitted while talking to him and his colleagues that there has been “little movement” towards urbanizing about 62,500 hectares, or 625 sq kilometres, merged into AUDA in 2009 through a notification.
“The AUDA chairman even agreed that the land set aside for urban development around Ahmedabad should be returned, as nothing so far been done towards developing the area’s urban infrastructure, as earlier planned. However, he admitted, things are not in his hand. It was for the government to decide”, Rabari said.
Later, accompanied with farmers’ representatives, when he met Nitin Patel, the latter only promised to “look into the matter”, but refused to give any concrete assurance, said Rabari, adding, “Nitin Patel looked quite disturbed. He went far as to accuse us of provoking farmers. However, later he calmed down.”
In 2009, the Gujarat government, through a notification merged 68 villages of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar districts into AUDA. With a total area of 625 sq km or 62,500 hectares (ha), there has not been any movement towards planned infrastructure urbanization of the area.
Meanwhile, the view has gone strong among farmers that this was just a ploy to appropriate their land. Pasturelands have also been sacrificed in the name of urbanization, Rabari said, adding, “While farmers are all set to lose about 40-50 per cent of their land under the Town Planning (TP) Act, there is a fear that they would be rendered without any means of livelihood if as and when a TP scheme is implemented.”
The TP Act requires farmers to part with 40 to 50 per cent of their land in the name of developing urban infrastructure once a TP scheme is floated in a particular area. “The government has left no option before the farmers. It does not want to listen to them. Hence the decision to protest”, Rabari said.
Rabari said, KSG programme would be a totally non-political event. Those wanting to join it were welcome, but without any political banner.

Comments

TRENDING

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.

'Enough evidence' in Indian tradition to support legal basis for same-sex marriage

By Iyce Malhotra, Joseph Mathai, Sandeep Chachra*  The ongoing hearing in the Supreme Court on same-sex marriage provides space for much-needed conversations on issues that have hitherto remained “invisible” or engaged with patriarchal locker room humour. We must recognize that people with diverse sexualities and complex gender identities have faced discrimination, stigma and decades of oppression. Their issues have mainly remained buried in dominant social discourse, and many view them with deep insecurities.

Delhi HC rules in favour of retired Air Force officer 'overcharged' for Covid treatment

By Rosamma Thomas*  In a decision of May 22, 2023, the Delhi High Court ruled in favour of petitioner Group Captain Suresh Khanna who was under treatment at CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, between April 28 and May 5, 2021, for a period of eight days, for Covid-19 pneumonia. The petitioner had to pay Rs 3,55,286 as treatment costs, but the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) only reimbursed him for Rs 1,83,748, on the basis of government-approved rates. 

Urgency for next pandemic? But Mr Health Secretary, you're barking up wrong tree

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD*  The Union Health Secretary, Mr Rajesh Bhushan addressing the Health Working Group of G20 India, at Hyderabad on 05 June 2023, cautioned that the next pandemic would not wait for us to make global treaties and called on countries to work together.

Religious divide 'kept alive' with low intensity communalism in Gujarat's cultural capital

By Rajiv Shah  A fact-finding report, prepared by the Mumbai-based non-profit, Centre for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS), has cited the Vadodara Ram Navami violence of March 30 as yet another example of how, after the BJP consolidating its hold on political power in Gujarat post-2002 riots and at the Centre in 2014, the nature of communal riots has changed, underlining, as opposed to high-intensity violence earlier, now riots have become “more sub-radar and at a smaller scale, more localized”.

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.

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".

Why continued obsession with adding more 'water guzzling' coal, nuclear power plants?

By Shankar Sharma*  The true concerns over water inefficiency in coal power plants have been known and have been highlighted many times in the past. A highly relevant study report by Prayas Energy Group had highlighted this fast looming threat to our society many years ago. But our authorities have been acting as though there can be no issue with water supply, and that additional coal power plants can be added indefinitely; even without any true relevance to climate change.

Generative AI as 'potent weapon and shield' in battle of political misinformation

By Haziq Jeelani*  In the pulsating heart of the digital era, the political arena is ceaselessly molded by the swift and relentless flow of information. The line between fact and fiction often blurs, creating a nebulous landscape where truth and deceit intertwine. 

Kailash Satyarthi NGO rescues 12 child workers from high profile Gujarat private varsity

By Our Representative  In a rather grim reflection of the state of child labour in Gujarat, 12 child labourers, most of whom belong to Rajasthan tribal communities, have been rescued from the campus of a high profile private university in Rajkot by a team of the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), Labour Department, Centre for Labour Research and Action, and the Police.