Skip to main content

Veteran Bihar land rights activist on how land reforms became defunct in state

Human rights defender Vidya Bhushan Rawat talks to Pankaj Singh, a veteran land rights activist based in Champaran, Bihar. One who was arrested for raising the issues of the backward Mushahar community's land rights, he remained in jail for several months till the Patna High Court granted him bail. 
One who participated in the Jay Prakash Narayan (JP) movement in 1974-75, when chief minister Nitish Kumar himself was a part of it, Pankaj Singh asks uncomfortable questions about why Kumar is not keen to discuss and debate the Bandhopadhyay Commission Report.
Rawat says, "We all are speaking about farmers' issues and we stand with them, but this interview will gives one a glimpse of how the Zamindari Abolition Act and the Land Ceiling Act in Bihar became defunct." He wonders, "Will the government act and undo the historical wrongs with Bihar's most marginalised communities". 
Sharing a conversation Rawat had with Pankaj Singh.

Comments

TRENDING

Gharapuri's discoveries: India finds a maritime past, ASI an app

By Gajanan Khergamker  The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has once again demonstrated an extraordinary talent for mistaking administrative housekeeping for institutional achievement. At the very moment excavations at Gharapuri are yielding evidence that could fundamentally reshape our understanding of India's maritime past, the institution has chosen to celebrate the rollout of QR-enabled audio guides and GPS-supported navigation at its monuments. The contrast could not be starker. 

Bihar’s land at ₹1 per acre for Adani sparks outrage, NAPM calls it crony capitalism

By A Representative   The National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) has strongly condemned the Bihar government’s decision to lease 1,050 acres of land in Pirpainti, Bhagalpur district, to Adani Power for a 2,400 MW coal-based thermal power project. 

What's behind Columbia's president-elect speaking out against continuing the country’s peace agenda

By Laura Violeta Devia López  There are just over three weeks left before Abelardo De La Espriella takes office as Colombia’s new president, despite the numerous allegations that cast a shadow over his election and, as usual, discredit the Colombian electoral system. The announcements already being made by Abelardo and his designated cabinet mark a significant change of course, not only for the Colombian people but also for the country’s place in the world.