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Oxford dragged into ‘land-grab’ scam

LONDON: Oxford University finds itself dragged into an alleged land-grab scam in Maharashtra, where it plans to set up its first overseas campus, said to be a favourite project of its outgoing Vice-Chancellor John Hood.

The campus, part of the university’s strategy to tap commercial opportunities abroad to overcome its funding crisis, will be located in a new township, Lavasa, being developed in the wooded hills between Pune and Mumbai amid allegations that the land for it was acquired through intimidation of farmers.

“The Indian developers of the 12,500-acre Lavasa site have been accused of intimidating indigenous farmers into selling their land and of pressing them to accept rock-bottom prices. They have also been accused of worsening deforestation by cutting down millions of trees,” The Sunday Times reported, quoting human rights activists as saying that up to 5,000 original settlers had been forced to leave.

Rights campaigner Medha Patkar called it “land-grab,” saying people were being “threatened” and “made to feel like criminals.”

“They cannot survive there, unless they submit....so they sell their land for the prices offered,” she said, alleging that armed employees of Lavasa Corporation went about intimidating the local people and forcing them to leave.

The newspaper also claimed that Oxford University had struck a deal with Ajit Gulabchand, chairman of the company that “controls” Lavasa, to endow a £7.4 million chair at the Said Business School in the university.Rajgopal Nogja, president of Lavasa Corporation, told the newspaper that the Oxford campus would be the “best building in my city.”

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