The Hindu : National : All set for padayatra against ‘undemocratic’ SEZ policies

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Thursday, Aug 09, 2007
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National

All set for padayatra against ‘undemocratic’ SEZ policies

Special Correspondent

‘Jatropha cultivation is being introduced in Rajasthan without consulting the people’
Dalit and Adivasi groups are worried over proposed amendment to Rajasthan Tenancy Act

JAIPUR: Growing public unease over the governments’ move in various States to hand over community land to big companies and influential groups in the name of promoting Special Economic Zones and bio-diesel cultivation will manifest itself in a mass padayatra on August Kranti Diwas (August 9) planned by various activist groups under the banner of ‘Rozgar Evum Suchana Ka Adhikar Abhiyan’ (Campaign for Employment and Right to Information) from all four directions of Rajasthan.

Christened ‘Jan Adhikar Yatra’, the march will have four groups beginning their walkathon from Alwar, Ajmer, Tonk and Sikar -- representing North, South, East and West -- to reach the State capital here on August 21 and converge into a dharna till August 26. The marchers all along the route will spread awareness among the people on the issues involved, hold meetings, collect and disseminate data and generate public opinion.The issues in focus are: the manner in which policies and programmes are implemented without consulting the people in the case of SEZs, the bio-diesel policy and in making amendments in the Rajasthan Tenancy Act to drop Section 42 B which guards the exclusive land rights of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes.

“We want answers from all political parties on land rights of the people, their livelihood avenues and their stake in the democratic decision making process,” said Magsaysay Award winner Aruna Roy, talking to journalists here. More than SEZs, the nightmare elsewhere, the threat from jatropha cultivation seemed to be immediate and challenging for the rural people of the State.

“Jatropha is being introduced in a large area of Rajasthan without any consultations with people. People who hold documents for the land they are occupying are thrown out even without issuing notices,” noted Sawai Singh. “The attempts at reclaiming the common land also would lead to serious conflicts in the villages,” he warned.

Hariram Gujjar of Kuncholi village and Jamini Bai Bheel of Mala Magra in Mawli tehsil of Udaipur district were thrown out of their land a month ago. There are over two dozen such families in their villages. Now the paradox is that the same land would be allocated to BPL groups to cultivate jatropha. “In our village, most of the BPL cardholders are Rajputs,” said Hariram, revealing another side of the farce.

The Dalit and Adivasi groups are worried about the proposed amendment to the Rajasthan Tenancy Act, which would facilitate the sale of land belonging to them to non-SC/ST. This is also said to be part of the move to make available land for SEZ and jatropha plantation.

“We are worried about the move as we have been told that the proposed amendment would be taken up in the Assembly on the last day of the coming session and passed without any debate,” Mr. Mimroth observed.

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