Can you win a grassroots level agitation for your land against a person whose is worth a whopping Rs 196,000 crore (Rs 1,960 billion)?
Yes, you can! At least, in the first round of a long-drawn struggle, farmers of Raigadh, near Mumbai, have won a legal battle for their land against Mukesh Ambani, India's richest man.
FULL STORYNow into its fifth year, controversial anti-Naxalite campaign Salwa Judum is transforming into a “non-cooperation movement” in the tribal Bastar region of Chhattisgarh with its top activists changing strategy from direct conflict to creating awareness among tribals to isolate the rebels. Senior Congress leader Mahendra Karma, a frontline anti-Naxalite campaign leader who stood with the ruling BJP in its fight against the rebels, speaks to Joseph John about the changing face of Salwa Judum.
Salwa Judum observed its fifth foundation day on June 5. For the past two-and-a-half years, there have been virtually no activities like rallies or public meetings on the ground in Bastar. What is the future of this movement?
After serious thought, we have changed the decision on how to go about our campaign against the Maoists. A new strategy has been worked out during the foundation day meetings where it was decided that anti-Naxal campaign activists would visit the villages and make the people aware that they should not extend any cooperation to the Naxalites. We don’t want any direct fight or conflict. We want to create such awareness so that the villagers themselves will request the Maoists with folded hands: “Let us be, leave us to our conditions”. This non-cooperation campaign is in its preliminary stage and is confined to few villages. It will be gradually extend to other Naxalite affected villages.
FULL INTERVIEW
I think the CM of Chhattisgarh Raman Singh has lost his mind after 2 months of running around for the Lok Sabha Elections and still not able to make Advani the Prime Minister.
A Salwa Judum affected family In Bastar using all their skills to hunt rats,a delicacy amongst the Gond-Tribes.Over 1,500 farmers in an Indian state committed suicide after being driven to debt by crop failure, it was reported today.
The agricultural state of Chattisgarh was hit by falling water levels.
"The water level has gone down below 250 feet here. It used to be at 40 feet a few years ago," Shatrughan Sahu, a villager in one of the districts, told Down To Earth magazine
"Most of the farmers here are indebted and only God can save the ones who do not have a bore well."
Mr Sahu lives in a district that recorded 206 farmer suicides last year. Police records for the district add that many deaths occur due to debt and economic distress.
In another village nearby, Beturam Sahu, who owned two acres of land was among those who committed suicide. His crop is yet to be harvested, but his son Lakhnu left to take up a job as a manual labourer.
His family must repay a debt of £400 and the crop this year is poor.
"The crop is so bad this year that we will not even be able to save any seeds," said Lakhnu's friend Santosh. "There were no rains at all."
"That's why Lakhnu left even before harvesting the crop. There is nothing left to harvest in his land this time. He is worried how he will repay these loans."
Bharatendu Prakash, from the Organic Farming Association of India, told the Press Association: "Farmers' suicides are increasing due to a vicious circle created by money lenders. They lure farmers to take money but when the crops fail, they are left with no option other than death."
Mr Prakash added that the government ought to take up the cause of the poor farmers just as they fight for a strong economy.
"Development should be for all. The government blames us for being against development. Forest area is depleting and dams are constructed without proper planning.
All this contributes to dipping water levels. Farmers should be taken into consideration when planning policies," he said.
This article is from The Belfast Telegraph
