Gadchiroli June 10 (District Correspondent) The much talked about agitation of the farmers against the acquisition of their agricultural lands for the airport and MIDC has come under sharp criticism among the farmers and the supporting parties over its ‘hasty withdrawal without gaining anything’. The farmers are highly disappointed over the sudden withdrawal of the agitation and have started raising doubts over the intension of the leders.
On June 4 and 5 last, thousands of farmers from the affected villages -that is 6 villages in Hirapur-Gurwala area and 14 villages in Bhendala area whose agricultural lands were to be acquired for the airport and MIDC respectively, had staged indefinite ‘Thiyya Andolan’ in front of the collectorate to demand cancellation of acquisition. The leaders of many political parties also had voluntarily declared their full support to the agitation.
‘No agitation will be withdrawn till the government issues orders to cancel the land acquisition’, was the clear-cut stand of the agitating farmers and their leaders too. The farmers were fully determined to continue this agitation till their demand is fulfilled and for that they were fully prepared with their own ration filled in bullock carts.
Seeing the readiness of the farmers, it seemed the agitation will go on till their demand are met. The administration also had become quite serious over the issue as the farmers were not in a mood to listen to them on the assurance of just postponing the process of land acquisition.
Seeing the seriousness of the situation, the co-guardian minister Adv. Ashish Jaiswal himself reached Gadchiroli and met the farmers on the next day. He then invited farmers leaders to the collectorate and after four hours deliberations, Samiti leader Mahandra Bramhanwade declared that the agitation is withdrawn saying that the land acquisition process has been postponed by the government and the final decision will be taken by the chief minister.
This announcement shocked many farmers and they were not ready to go back as they felt nothing concrete was gained by the agitation and the heavy sufferings of the two days faced by the men, women and children in the scorching heat. However, they had to return to their villages disappointed as the agitation was already declared to have been withdrawn by the leaders.
In fact, the letter issued by the district collector to the farmers nowhere stated that the land acquisition process has been withdrawn. It only stated that no land acquisition will be made for the airport until decision is taken at the government level. On MIDC issue it was stated in the letter that till the decision is taken by the chief minister land acquisition is stayed on the stage where it stands now.
Many of the farmers reacted that this agitation has given us nothing hence the withdrawal is not acceptable to us. We feel betrayed by the leaders, they said expressing their deep disappointment over the hasty withdrawal of the agitation.
The leaders of the political parties who had supported the agitation also have reacted sharply over the land acquisition. Dr. Mahesh Kopulwar, state working president of kisan Sabha clearly said the leaders of Shetkari Samiti have misled and misguided the farmers. The state government wants to grab the lands of the farmers and give them to the corporates. We will not allow the farmers to become landless.
Mr. Hansraj Undirwade, district chief of Republican Party said withdrawal of agitation is clearcut cheating with the farmers. It seems the entire agitation was arranged for a particular leader who wanted to focus himself in the name of farmers. The farmers had to suffer a lot and they got nothing, he added.
District chief of Azad Samaj Party Raj Bansod alleged the agitation was used for the political show of strength of a particular leader. Farmers have been misled. Why were the funds allocated for the airport if it was not sanctioned, he asked saying that his party will always stand with the farmers to safeguard their lands.
Now the farmers are engaged in their farming but what stand they take in the coming times remains to be seen.
