Govindacharya, Hazare's BVJAN oppose changes in land bill

Former BJP ideologue Govindacharya and Anna Hazare's organisation today joined various NGOs and farmers bodies in opposing changes in the land bill and questioned the "haste" in doing so through ordinances.

They alleged that changes will "damage" farmers and are aimed at "furthering the interests of capitalists", which will negatively impact foodgrain production in the country.

Alleging that the government appeared "hell-bent on changing provisions made in favour of the exploited and the deprived," Govindacharya told the panel examining the contentious land bill 2015, that the government promulgating an ordinance thrice on the matter has sent a message that it was being done to further the interests of capitalists at the cost of farmers.

The panel headed by BJP MP S S Ahluwalia today heard the views of Ralegan Siddhi-based Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Andolan Nyas (BVJAN) of Hazare, People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), All India Kisan Sabha, KN Govindacharya, Dr Ram Singh, Remuna Land Losers Krusak Morcha, Asian Centre for Human Rights and Centre for Policy Research.

Slamming the government over land ordinance issue, Govindacharya in his written submission before the Joint Committee of Parliament, is learnt to have demanded that the central government should drop the path of bringing ordinance on land law and make a law better than Land Acquisition Act of 2013 in favour the last person.

Questioning if BJP had made any promise in its election manifesto for 2014 Lok Sabha polls to change the 2013 land acquisition law, Govindacharya wondered "if not what mindset does it indicate in carrying out a change in it in a haste by bringing an ordinance".

Holding that the provisions to protect the rights of farmers were included in the 2013 Act with hard labour of even many BJP MPs, he said, nobody had at time thought that when a BJP government is formed at the Centre, then its leadership will overturn that law.

"Now this message has gone far and wide that the earlier law is being changed to promote interests of industrialists and capitalists in place of the interests of common man and farmers," he said in his written submission.

Noting that the land law of 2013 passed with the support of BJP MPs had raised hopes that it would minimise the injustice being to people in land acquisition through colonial structures and laws by the Centre and the states, he said in the written representation that nobody had thought that when a BJP government will be formed at Centre, its leadership will "overturn" that law.