Farmer agitation in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao took a violent turn on Sunday, with clashes breaking out between them and the police, after the former had gathered to protest against the state government for acquiring land for a residential project.
The farmers are demanding their legitimate, delayed compensation for a land that was forcibly acquired by the Yogi Adityanath administration for the Trans-Ganga City project, a proposed satellite township around 40 kms from Lucknow, around 7 years ago.
The farmers had gathered at the site of the proposed township which is being built by the Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA) demanding fair compensation, where the clashes led to stone pelting, machinery being set ablaze and a power substation being set on fire.
Heavy police-force had been deployed in the village Kanhavpur in Sadar tehsil and the police who resorted to lathi charge against the protestors have been accused of excesses against women and elderly farmers at the venue, injuring at least 15 peasants. Seven policemen have also been injured in the incident.
The UP State Industrial Development Corporation has lodged an FIR against eight named and 200 unidentified people for attacking them at the site of proposed.
The All India KisanMahaSabha (AIKMS), in a press note, condemned the repression of these peasants fighting for their rights. According to the information by the AIKMS, 1144 acres of land had been acquired by UPSIDA in 2002-03 and while the peasants were protesting inadequate compensation since then, the state government has fail to solve the problem. Yesterday when the UPSIDA officials and police began occupying the land and used JCB machines the peasants protested after which the police let loose its terror.
The above acquisition is 16 years old and after implementation of LARR 2013 this acquisition has become void because more than 5 years have passed without any development on the land. Clause 25(2) of the LARR 2013 states that if land has been acquired under the old act and more than 5 years have passed without possession being taken, the acquisition will lapse. Also under Clause 102 of this Act if no development has taken place for 5 years after possession, the land shall be returned to the original owners.
Accusing the Modi government of only paying lip-service to farmers, she shared a video of the police being violent towards the protesting farmers. However, a BJP spokesperson retorted saying that 1,925 farmers have already been compensation, and only 114 farmers are left to receive the same.
उप्र के CM क्या केवल किसानों पर लच्छेदार भाषण ही दे पाते हैं? क्योंकि भाजपा सरकार में किसानों का अपमान ही होता रहता है। उन्नाव में जमीन का मुआवज़ा माँग रहे किसानों की पुलिस ने बेरहमी से पिटाई कर दी। महिला किसानों को भी पीटा गया। किसानों की जमीन ली है तो मुआवजा तो देना ही होगा। pic.twitter.com/7vtvejf68z
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) November 16, 2019
The Rashtriya Kisan Manch, a forum working for the welfare of farmers, said that the farmers were peacefully protesting and only demanding compensation for their land. “Nearly 30 percent of the farmers of the clash-hit area are yet to get compensation from the government”, RKM president Shekhar Dixit said on Sunday.
1,580 farmers had given up 1,100 acres for the project with a promise of a house in the city, apart from adequate compensation. The remaining 44 acres was government land. The project, except for some beautification work, has not taken off yet.
The Indian Express reported that a UPSIDA official said the state government decided to acquire land in Unnao for a Special Economic Zone in 2002-03. “A total area of 1,141 acres spread across seven villages was identified. Initially, the matter was settled for Rs 1.5 lakh per bigha. In 2005, farmers protested after they came to know a leather industry was coming up on their land and demanded a hike in compensation. It was decided to raise the compensation to Rs 5.5 lakh per bigha and the government started acquiring land. In 2014, when the government announced Trans Gang City Project after cancelling the SEZ project, farmers again staged protests and the government gave Rs 7 lakh per bigha as ex-gratia,” said the UPSIDA official.
Akhilesh Yadav on December 11, 2014 had laid the foundation of the Trans Ganga City project. About the incident, he tweeted – https://twitter.com/yadavakhilesh/status/1195985681983528960
The farmers have accused the BJP government of selling their land and have been raging protests against the same since 2017. They have demanded that apart from fair compensation, one member of each affected family must get a job and a share in the developed land.
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