Skip to main content

'India is not for sale': Land rights movement plans nationwide agitation on August 9-10

By A Representative
Following an online conference, India’s top land rights network, the Bhumi Adhikar Andolan (BAA) announced that on August 9-10, 2020 it would hold a nationwide day of protest across the country under the slogan ‘India Is Not For Sale’ in view of the changes introduced to dilute environment conservation efforts through the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2020.
The slogan ‘India Is Not For Sale’ was adopted adopted the conference, in which 150 representatives of people’s movement groups participated. The August 9-10 protest would also focus on fresh moves reportedly being made to decimate the processes of social impact assessment and consent for land acquisition amidst Covid-19 crisis. In the meanwhile, it was decided to reach out to the people who might be affected by he Government of India move.
The day of protest would be preceded by a nationwide campaign on July 23 at block and tehsil levels to agitate people for land reforms, demand royalties for the use of natural resources as their rightful due, support working classes’ opposition to changes being introduced by the government in labour laws, and pressure government to take adequate steps to solve the crisis faced by migrant workers on their lives and livelihoods.
A communique issued by BAA following the virtual meet said, “The 73rd amendment to the Constitution gives credibility to the assertions of peoples’ movement groups. Hence it is important that it is implemented in adivasi areas in its letter and spirit along with implementing the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996” (PESA) and Forest Rights Act (FRA)”, insisting on the need for “peoples’ movement to emerge as pressure groups for this purpose.”
Participated, among others, by Hannan Mollah (All India Kisan Sabha), Medha Patkar (National Alliance of People’s Movements), Ulka Mahajan (Sarvahara Jan Andolan), Dayamani Barla (Adivasi, Moolvaasi, Astitva Raksha Manch), Ashok Shrimali (Mines, Minerals and People), Ashok Chowdhury and Roma Malik (All India Union of Forest Working People), and others, speakers shared the challenges faced by working people expressing concern on the government’s “non-collaborative nature” in deciding what is good for the country.  
Amidst Covid-19 crisis, instead of focusing on public health or social security, the government is seeking to indiscriminately sale natural resources to corporate groups
The BAA note said, “In the name of rhetorical development, the Union government has made natural resources a commodity for exploitation.” Referring to Covid-19, it added, “Even in the times of a humanitarian crisis of this magnitude, there has not been focus on public health or social security but on the indiscriminate sale of natural resources to corporate groups.”
The note stated, “The conference focused on the plight of working caste-class groups who continue to suffer immensely due to the negligence of state and union governments”, adding, “It has been amply clear that this regime is against the interests of common people and does not care about them.”
“In the time of a pandemic, when people are unable to come together and express their opposition, the imposition of various amendments and ordinances in the management and control of natural resources points to their high-handedness in the matter”, the note insisted.
Held in four sessions, discussions ranged on the changes in labour laws, challenges faced by migrant workers on their lives and livelihoods, commercialization of coal mining, negative impacts on agriculture, changes introduced to dilute environment conservation efforts through the introduction of EIA notification 2020 and the virtual decimation of the processes of social impact assessment and taking consent for land acquisition.
It was pointed out at the conference that the increasing attacks on forest dwelling communities by forest departments and atrocities by police as a widely used method of state violence had emerged as a major cause for worry. Speakers focused on the fact that the Union government has used the pandemic as an excuse to impose “anti-people” laws, seeking to hand over public resources to private players rather than take efforts to improve the conditions of people.
The note said, “Opposition to the government policies has been criminalized, and it was realized that a united opposition must be built for democratic movements to take shape”, adding, “While the government won elections with the slogans that they would not let the resources of the country get out, it is working overtimes to do the opposite and sell out natural resources to national and international capitalist groups.”

Comments

TRENDING

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor*  A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra  Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas*  Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

Overriding India's constitutional sovereignty? Citizens urge PM to reject WHO IHR amendments

By A Representative   A group of concerned Indian citizens, including medical professionals and activists, has sent an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to reject proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) before the ratification deadline of July 19, 2025. 

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative   At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Activists allege abduction and torture by Delhi Police Special Cell in missing person probe

By A Representative   A press statement released today by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) alleges that several student and social activists have been abducted, illegally detained, and subjected to torture by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The CASR claims these actions are linked to an investigation into the disappearance of Vallika Varshri, an editorial team member of 'Nazariya' magazine.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman*   The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.