Farmers felicitate Congress party General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, center, with a turban during a gathering of farmers at the end of a four-day march he undertook in the farmlands of northern India, at Aligarh, July 9. Gandhi described the march as an unforgettable experience that enlightened him of the farmers’ problems in the opposition ruled state of Uttar Pradesh, which has an election next year. (AP Photo)
Aligarh, July 9 (Agencies): Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit out at the Mayawati government over its land acquisition policy, saying it was killing farmers for making justified demands. Addressing thousands of farmers at a ‘’Kisan Mahapanchayat’’ here, Gandhi said the Uttar Pradesh government was not listening to farmers and denying them rightful compensation for land acquired from them. “Land of lakhs of farmers is being taken in Uttar Pradesh and being given to builders. When farmers say give us our rights, they have to face bullets,” Gandhi said.
“Wherever I go, farmers say that if their land is taken then they should get the right price for it. ‘We are killed and the government doesn’t even talk to us if we talk about our rights’,” Gandhi quoted farmers as saying. Winding up his four-day ‘padyatra’ in the battle against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, the Congress leader accused her government of acquiring farmers’ lands for golf courses and racing tracks and firing upon poor farmers when they protest. Capping his 70-km foot march through the villages of Greater Noida and Aligarh district with the ‘kisan mahapanchayat’, he rejected criticism that he was enacting a “drama”, apparently referring to Mayawati’s description of his march as “nautanki”.
Using some strong words for his rival in the campaign seen as preparations for the next year Assembly elections, Gandhi said that in Uttar Pradesh a farmer gets to know about the acquisition of his land only when the builder comes and tells him that the land belongs to him. “In UP, we are not against development or making roads. But this land is being taken away to make golf courses, colonies and racing track from farmers and that is why they are angry. “The farmer says if in Lucknow a rich person’s land is taken he is given the market rate but when it comes to a poor farmer he is fired upon, beaten, and government does not talk to us,” Gandhi said.
An estimated crowd of about 10,000-15,000 farmers attended the Mahapanchayat, whose venue became soggy in early morning rains, capping the padyatra that began in the villages of Bhatta-Parsaul, the epicentre of a violent agitation against land acquisition in Greater Noida in May. Admitting that that the existing land laws were outdated and there was a need to change them, Gandhi assured the farmers that the UPA government will introduce a new Land Acquisition Bill in Lok Sabha. Comparing Uttar Pradesh farmers to those in Haryana, he said that Haryanvi farmers got a better price for their land. In Haryana, the government pays fair price to farmers, informs them in advance about their land being acquired, he said, adding the problem in Uttar Pradesh was that the government doesn’t talk to farmers as its intent is doubtful.
Dismissing criticism about his campaign, Gandhi said many people felt it was a drama. “A politician needs to go to people and talk to them and that is what I believe,” he said. Referring to land acquisition law, Gandhi said some farmers are worried about it because it is old and they have problems with it. “We will try to bring such a law that will benefit the farmer. But only changing the law won’t help because the same law exists in Haryana and UP but Haryana government takes people into confidence and talks to them. “UP government doesn’t talk to the people. When a farmer demands his rights, government orders firing on him,” he said.
Gandhi said after the agitation in Bhatta-Parsaul, Mayawati came out with a new policy on land acquisition which he said will not benefit the affected people there. “That is why I set out on this padyatra,” he added. He said when farmers protested in Bhatta-Parsaul two months ago, police fired and some of them died. It was sad that these farmers had done nothing wrong and he came to know about this when he visited these places. They only told the government that if the government wants their land, pay adequate compensation but police in turn fired and beat them up.
“Wherever I go, farmers say that if their land is taken then they should get the right price for it. ‘We are killed and the government doesn’t even talk to us if we talk about our rights’,” Gandhi quoted farmers as saying. Winding up his four-day ‘padyatra’ in the battle against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, the Congress leader accused her government of acquiring farmers’ lands for golf courses and racing tracks and firing upon poor farmers when they protest. Capping his 70-km foot march through the villages of Greater Noida and Aligarh district with the ‘kisan mahapanchayat’, he rejected criticism that he was enacting a “drama”, apparently referring to Mayawati’s description of his march as “nautanki”.
Using some strong words for his rival in the campaign seen as preparations for the next year Assembly elections, Gandhi said that in Uttar Pradesh a farmer gets to know about the acquisition of his land only when the builder comes and tells him that the land belongs to him. “In UP, we are not against development or making roads. But this land is being taken away to make golf courses, colonies and racing track from farmers and that is why they are angry. “The farmer says if in Lucknow a rich person’s land is taken he is given the market rate but when it comes to a poor farmer he is fired upon, beaten, and government does not talk to us,” Gandhi said.
An estimated crowd of about 10,000-15,000 farmers attended the Mahapanchayat, whose venue became soggy in early morning rains, capping the padyatra that began in the villages of Bhatta-Parsaul, the epicentre of a violent agitation against land acquisition in Greater Noida in May. Admitting that that the existing land laws were outdated and there was a need to change them, Gandhi assured the farmers that the UPA government will introduce a new Land Acquisition Bill in Lok Sabha. Comparing Uttar Pradesh farmers to those in Haryana, he said that Haryanvi farmers got a better price for their land. In Haryana, the government pays fair price to farmers, informs them in advance about their land being acquired, he said, adding the problem in Uttar Pradesh was that the government doesn’t talk to farmers as its intent is doubtful.
Dismissing criticism about his campaign, Gandhi said many people felt it was a drama. “A politician needs to go to people and talk to them and that is what I believe,” he said. Referring to land acquisition law, Gandhi said some farmers are worried about it because it is old and they have problems with it. “We will try to bring such a law that will benefit the farmer. But only changing the law won’t help because the same law exists in Haryana and UP but Haryana government takes people into confidence and talks to them. “UP government doesn’t talk to the people. When a farmer demands his rights, government orders firing on him,” he said.
Gandhi said after the agitation in Bhatta-Parsaul, Mayawati came out with a new policy on land acquisition which he said will not benefit the affected people there. “That is why I set out on this padyatra,” he added. He said when farmers protested in Bhatta-Parsaul two months ago, police fired and some of them died. It was sad that these farmers had done nothing wrong and he came to know about this when he visited these places. They only told the government that if the government wants their land, pay adequate compensation but police in turn fired and beat them up.
UP rally attendees ticket seekers not farmers: BSP
Lucknow, July 9 (agencies): As Rahul Gandhi’s Kisan Mahapanchayat in Aligarh edged towards success, a seemingly frustrated Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Saturday alleged that most of the people present there were not farmers but ‘ticket hopefuls’ for the next assembly elections. Taking on the Congress general secretary, BSP said that 80% of the people in the Mahapanchayat were ‘ticket hopefuls’ and just twenty percent were real farmers. On reports that more than one lakh farmers attended Rahul’s Mahapanchayat, BSP said as a riposte that if there were just seven thousand chairs on the ground, then how come so many people assembled there?
BSP also accused the Congress of politicising the farmers’ issue and said that the Mahapanchayat was merely an eyewash and an attempt to fool the farmers of the state. Earlier on Friday, BSP had termed the Mahapanchayat as a “political drama”. BSP had earlier accused Rahul of a creating a social divide saying he discriminated in his behaviour with dalits. Rahul Gandhi had stayed at dalit houses during his ‘kisan padyatra’, but the BSP had alleged that he did not have food prepared by them.
“Though Congress yuvraj had a night halt at the house of one person belonging to ‘kanjar’ caste in Marodgarhi village of Aligarh but he did not have food prepared there and it was ordered from outside for him while for his staff it was arranged at the house of the gram pradhan”, a BSP spokesman had said. Terming such behaviour indicative of Congress party’s casteist mentality, the spokesman had said that these stays at the houses of dalits and backwards were nothing but “drama”. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray also attacked Rahul Gandhi over the farmers’ issue. He questioned Rahul’s intent saying if the young leader really cared for the farmers, then he should come to Jaitapur.
BSP also accused the Congress of politicising the farmers’ issue and said that the Mahapanchayat was merely an eyewash and an attempt to fool the farmers of the state. Earlier on Friday, BSP had termed the Mahapanchayat as a “political drama”. BSP had earlier accused Rahul of a creating a social divide saying he discriminated in his behaviour with dalits. Rahul Gandhi had stayed at dalit houses during his ‘kisan padyatra’, but the BSP had alleged that he did not have food prepared by them.
“Though Congress yuvraj had a night halt at the house of one person belonging to ‘kanjar’ caste in Marodgarhi village of Aligarh but he did not have food prepared there and it was ordered from outside for him while for his staff it was arranged at the house of the gram pradhan”, a BSP spokesman had said. Terming such behaviour indicative of Congress party’s casteist mentality, the spokesman had said that these stays at the houses of dalits and backwards were nothing but “drama”. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray also attacked Rahul Gandhi over the farmers’ issue. He questioned Rahul’s intent saying if the young leader really cared for the farmers, then he should come to Jaitapur.
