SKM even protested the arrogance of the UP Administration both Revenue and Police Departments for nakedly violating the consensus made with the farmer’s leadership on 2nd December 2024 asking for seven days for the Chief Secretary of UP to discuss with the farmers leadership and resolve the demands.  As per their request, the farmers had shifted the spot of the struggle to the Dalit Prerena Sthal of Ambedkar Park and continued the night and day Sit-in struggle. But the Police force was deployed in huge numbers and forcefully evicted the peacefully agitating farmers. 

 The struggle of the project affecting farmers of Greater Noida region to protect their land rights has been continuing for more than the past 18 years. Six farmers had been martyred in the Police firing as part of this struggle during 2008, 2011 and 2012. There were massive struggles across the country against such widespread land acquisition to facilitate corporate profiteering.  In this context, the then UPA2 Government headed by Manmohan Singh was forced to enact the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013(RFCTLARR Act) to protect the land rights of farmers.  

In 2014 however, the BJP led NDA1 Government  led by Narendra Modi passed, without debate, the Land Acquisition Ordinance to invalidate the LARR Act 2013.  Due to the farmers’ struggle across the country under the banner of Bhumi Adhikar Andolan, they failed to enact the law. Howwver, BJP led State Governments including Uttar Pradesh have passed state land laws to violate the LARR Act 2013. Farmers however are continuing the struggle for their genuine land rights and the struggle of Greater Noida project affected farmers is part of this countrywide struggle.   

The statement asserts that the Adityanath Government has failed to ensure justice to the farmers and that the circle rate of land has not been revised since 2017. Farmers in UP have been denied adequate, lawful compensation and benefits assured by the LARR Act 2013 including employment, resettlement and rehabilitation. The Greater Noida project affected farmers are entitled to get back 10% of the developed land, employment for landless farmer households, four times rate of circle rate as compensation apart from resettlement and rehabilitation.  Moreover, the statement says that the BJP led State Government cannot evade its responsibility of ensuring that these lawful rights of the project affected farmers. Apart from Greater Noida farmers, lakhs of farmer households across Uttar Pradesh also have also been affected. The SKM has also appealed to all farmers to consistently advance the struggle until victory achieved and justice is done to all the victim farmer households. 

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On September 13, 2017, a meeting was held by the Chhattisgarh Kisaan Mazdoor Sangh in Aarang in order to discuss the worsening financial conditions on account of the consistent drought situation in Chhattisgarh over the last three years. In view of the drought, the farmers demanded that the restrictions on all governmental events, state celebrations, inaugurations, foundation stones, Kisan Mela, etc should be imposed in 2017-18 in the state of Chhattisgarh and the entire state be declared drought-affected.
 
The Kissaan Mahasangh condemned the misappropriation of Gram Panchayat’s funds in Rajnandgaon for the Chief Minister Raman Singh’s honour ceremony. For the last three months, the farmers of the state have been reminding the Bharatiya Janata Party’s promises to them, i.e., 300 rupees bonus, free electricity, loans at zero percent interest, implementation of the recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee and Rs 2100 for the support cash. At the behest of the strengthening farmers struggle in Chhattisgarh, the state had declared a bonus three months back, but has not delivered on its promises. 
 
The Mazdoor Sangh has demanded for exemption of the farmers debt and electricity bills which have increased multifold on account of this drought situation and non-existent State support. 
With an intent to remind the government of their poll promises, and to hold them accountable, it was decided in several meetings all over the state in villages by villagers that the residence of the Chief Minister in Raipur would be gheraod (surrounded) by a huge rally of farmers on 21 September, 2017. 
 
But as the farmers’ struggle gains momentum, the state has been clamping down on it with increased intensity.  Arrests and detentions began on September 19.
 
On September 19, the Sankalp Yatra was to begin from Rajnandgaon.
 
Rajnandgaon,  early morning Sudesh Tekam, trade unionist and farmers leader Ramakant Banjare, Chandu Sahu, Tribal farmers leader Chunni Sahu, Sanjit, Madan Sahu of the Kisan Sangh along with hundreds of other people were arrested. On the same day,  Alok Shukla of the Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan was arrested enroute Rajnandgaon.  While Alok Shukla was released, the rest are still in jail.  A fortnight before, on August 28, 2017 as many as 50,000 farmers had held a peaceful demonstration and declared their faith in the constitution and the law. Now using Section 151 of the law on preventive detention, the state has clamped down on democratic protest. The law is clear on this matter: after determining whether the person is likely to cause unrest, etc the person is released within 24 hours of arrest on a bond,  with or without surety.  However, here in Chhattisgarh, the SDM (district magistrate) himself has been missing since the protest ! 
 
As farmers struggle to get their constitutional rights heard in these drought conditions,  there is an absolute media blackout,  with zero news trickling down of the rally and the clampdown.  The state proves how little it cares about the farmers who bring food to the plates of all in this “agricultural economy”. Until today, hundreds of farmer leaders have been arrested.
 
A Longworth ex-MLA and farmers leader Janaklal Thakur 8 other farmer leaders were arrested at 2:30 am last night.  In Dhamtari, leaders such as Shatrughan Sahu, Shrikant Sonwani, Purushottam Chandrakar, Shrikant Chandrakar, Chainsingh Sahi, Tejendra Todekar from the Dhamtari Kisaan Mazdoor Mahasangh Dhamtari were arrested when they went to the Collector to submit a memorandum protesting against the imposition of Sec. 144 (Unlawful Assembly) in Dhamtari. Today,  AAP leader Sanket Thakur, PUCL President Lakhan Singh, Mahila Adhikar Manch and AAP  Durga Jha,  CBA Alok Shukla, Ex-Union Minister Arvind Netam,  Farmer leader from AAP Anand Mishra,  CPM Sanjay Parate,  Uttam Jaiswal were arrested.  45 tribal men and women who served as SPOs during the time of Salwa Judum and had come to Raipur for a press conference seeking rehabilitation post the disbanding of Salwa Judum were also arrested. The police searched the residence of farmers leader Jagmohan Baghel  and  AAP  party functionary Samir Khan in Bastar.  
 
The railway station of Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh is being manned by heavy police personnel. Strict checks are in place to ensure that no farmer can reach the protest site by train or by bus. More than 15 cycles have been prohibited from being parked in cycle stands. All roads to the capital of Chhattisgarh Raipur have been barricaded with heavy police presence, the boundaries of all the villages who are rising in protest have been barricaded and no one is being allowed to enter or exit villages, all villagers have been detained within their own villages.
 
News of more and more arrests trickle every fifteen minutes.
 
Chhattisgarh is in a state of emergency. All to stifle democratic protests of farmers!
 

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