Spare None:

July 27/2011: The Allahabad High Court has marked a High Tide Line in the current land grab scene of India by spelling out a ruling concerning farmers’ land being taken over by the UP State Government. Strongly worded, this statement by the High Court should have far reaching consequences. It has said that it will not spare any one, no matter how high and mighty, those who have grabbed the lands of the poor by force. Lately, especially during the last decade, all have noticed the extreme greed being exhibited by every moneyed person of India to get hold of land. More the land, better the market value of the corporate. Understandably so. This whole race started with the declaration that the Union Government will not only encourage but actively support and help in establishing Special Economic Zones (SEZs) all over the country. These huge parcels of land were supposedly designed in such manner that any industry being set up within its precincts would be exempt from Sales Tax, Excise and in certain cases even Income Tax for long periods of time. No labor laws would be effective within those enclosures. Under the pretext of encouraging foreign investments to come to India, the government had consciously started creating not-so-little sovereign areas within the boundaries of the Republic of India. The promoters of the SEZs as well as the industrialists who were to operate from there were powers unto themselves. They have no obligations whatsoever to the people who lost land for setting up the SEZ. No Corporate Social Responsibilities would ever weigh them down. Since the law of the land was abdicated in their favor, their dreams of a ‘new‘ industrial climate culminates in a new ‘nation’ that does not possess any citizens or  laws and they are the Emperors of all that they behold. Starting from this SEZ drama, the land grab activities spread throughout the country. Not only Uttar Pradesh and its government’s rough handed treatment of farmers to deprive them of their lands, this scenario had spread all over to engulf West Bengal (Tata in Singur, Nandigram),  Orissa (Posco, Vedanta, GMR, and so many other mining, metals and power companies), Karnataka, Haryana and even Maharashtra (nuclear power plant at Jaitpur).

Earlier, it was said ‘understandably so’. Some may question what is so understandable. The fact is that the super rich and supra powerful in India have realized that they have been consistently opposing and negating inclusive growth and development in this country. Without basic needs such as education, health, drinking water and communication facilities, India has been very purposefully kept suppressed as a country fit for programs like MGNREGS which perpetuate poverty. Once this realization sunk in, these people found the population to be booming and the rush for the limited resources increasing manifold. Then it became a game of snatching away the hidden treasures before anyone realizes that there were treasures in the first place. It is possible to become rich, famous, own cars, helicopters and luxuries beyond imagination. What one may not be able to lay hands on, in spite of all these rich toys, is food.

No agricultural land. No farming. Simple outcome. No food. No amount of money, gold or Lear jets will get you bread and butter. Or ruti and tarkari. This intrinsic issue has been very well understood by the super rich of India. That is the reason for their rush for land. On the other hand, the not so rich and the needy are yet to grasp this point. Therefore, an offer of 15 or 20 lacs seems astronomical a figure for a poverty stricken farmer living in the hinterlands of this country. Selling off land seems natural to the poor. The much touted new Land Acquisition Act is also very silly. The National Advisory Council headed by Smt Sonia Gandhi suggested 70% land owners have to accept sell out before it can be implemented. Trying to improve on that, the Rural Development ministry, headed by shoe-cleaned-with-cotton-garland Minister Jairam Ramesh has suggested that not 70 but 80% land owners have to accept to sell their land before acquisition can become reality. All of us who know this country are aware that this ‘70 per cent 80 percent’ is another dirty game. No real land owners know the true value that their agricultural lands hold for the future of the nation. Not just for their families. The nation.

It is in this context that the Allahabad High Court pronouncements hold a lot of meaning. The Courts of this country have been bending over backwards to support the super rich. A Rotten man can approach the Supreme Court to ban further exposures of his telephonic conversations with a woman that included words that may impact every citizen. The Court forthwith agrees and passes a judgment within a week. Two brothers fight over a national property such as a gas source and the Apex Court ruling on the feud is out in a couple of days. All Indians would pray that the common man’s cases should also be resolved in similar haste. Alas! That was never before seen. Therefore, the Allahabad Court judgment is a ‘land’ mark. It should wake every one up. The surest way to protect agricultural land of this country is by making any ‘development’ illegal and a severe crime if it comes up on land that produces at least 2 crops in a year. The developments must include SEZs, roads, apartment buildings, industries. If we do not address this issue now, we shall be left with only food for thought, but none for the tummy.