ANNALILA: Fasting for Anna, barefoot farmer pulls cart 400 km to Mumbai!

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Mid-Day.com / ndtv.com / Updated: August 23, 2011 11:56 IST.

Mumbai:  For the Centre's crisis managers who have been writing off Anna Hazare's anti-graft movement as an uprising of the city-bred middle-class, here's refreshing news: rural India is standing by the corruption crusader and is ready to die for him.

A 32-year-old farmer, who has been fasting for seven days along with Anna, has shown the grit to travel barefoot from Anna's village all the way to Mumbai, with a cart in tow.

Vijay Balaso Jadhav, of Sangli district, started from Ralegan Siddhi on August 17 and reached the city on Sunday evening. He has covered a distance of around 400 km to express solidarity with the 74-year-old Gandhian.

On his way to Mumbai, Jadhav said he met hundreds of people at bus stops and railway stations and educated them on the Lokpal Bill, urging them to join the movement. Interestingly, a close look at the hand-pulled cart reveals a garlanded photo of Jadhav.

Asked why he adorned his own photo, he said, "I have come to fight the war against corruption and the enemy can do everything to kill us and crush our movement. So I have garlanded my own photo to send out a clear message that I am not afraid of death. I have already told my family to learn to live without me."

Full Story at,

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/fasting-for-anna-barefoot-farmer-pulls-cart-400-km-to-mumbai-128352

  

PUNE FORCEFUL LAND ACQUISITIONS: Rahul meets Mawal farmers, flays police firing!

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Press Trust Of India / ibnlive.in.com / Posted on Aug 18, 2011 at 04:01pm IST.

Pune: Rahul Gandhi on Thursday termed as "wrong" the police firing on agitating farmers in Mawal in Pune district as he visited the families of those killed in the incident and joined a prayer meeting.

Making an unscheduled visit to a cluster of villages in the area, the AICC General Secretary met the families of the victims - Shyamrao Tope at Sadawali village, Moreshwar Sathe at Shivrane village and the family of Kantabai Thakar at Yelse village.

Condoling the death of farmers in police firing on August 9, Rahul said, "What had happened was wrong", a release from the Youth Congress quoted him as saying.

He also joined a prayer meeting being held for the farmers killed in the firing.

Three farmers were killed and many others injured when Pune Rural Police allegedly opened fire on a protest against a closed pipeline project that facilitates supply of water from Pavna dam to the industrial township of Pimpri Chinchwad in Mawal taluk on August 9.

Full Story at,

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/rahul-meets-mawal-farmers-flays-police-firing/176692-37-64.html

PUNE FORCEFUL LAND ACQUISITIONS: After Mawal incident, R.R. Patil again in the firing line!

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Meena Menon, The Hindu / MUMBAI, August 14, 2011.

In one month, Maharashtra witnessed three instances of police firing over three weeks, which coincided with the monsoon session of the Legislature. On Friday, when the session ended in chaos, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and his Deputy Ajit Pawar (NCP) pointed to a planned conspiracy in the latest firing at Mawal in Pune district, in which three farmers were killed. The farmers were protesting against diversion of water from the Pawna dam through a pipeline to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).The government initially defended the police action but when television channels aired footage of the August 9 protest, it had no choice but to suspend at least eight policemen, who were seen attacking private vehicles or firing at the fleeing farmers. Mr. Chavan said a high-level inquiry by a retired Bombay High Court judge was ordered and that was the maximum the government could do.

Home Minister R.R. Patil too defended the police and even brought in a twist to the situation, saying the first firing came from a private vehicle. The bullet which injured a bystander was sent for examination. He, however, admitted that the police failed to prevent the protest from turning violent despite a heavy deployment of force.

No excuse

While the government seeks refuge in the conspiracy theory, it has no excuse for the firing sans warning, as local villagers have pointed out. Mr. Chavan, after the Mumbai bomb blasts last month, openly said he wished that the Home department were with the Congress. This time too the Home department has come in for strong criticism. Right from July 25 when the police opened fire at protesters after a truck mowed down Warkaris returning from a pilgrimage on the Jalna-Ambad highway, the Opposition has been clamouring for the resignation of Mr. Patil. Opposition leaders even met the Governor demanding the dismissal of the government.

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Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2354507.ece

PUNE FORCEFUL LAND ACQUISITIONS: A farmer killed fighting for his land!!

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Imtiaz Jaleel, ndtv.com / Updated: August 12, 2011 19:38 IST.

Maval, Pune:  At the start of this week, Lata Tupe could be seen dressed like any other young married woman in the village of Sadawli in Maharashtra, a two hour drive from Mumbai. Her sari was clean but faded, her wrists wore the traditional thin bangles that confer marital status.

No more. She is dressed today in the white sari that confers upon her the new position of a widow. She is 23. In her tiny hut, her 3 year old son plays at her knees.

His father, Shyamlal, was among the 3 farmers who were shot by the police on Tuesday as a protest turned a tragic corner. Shyamlal was fighting for his life when he joined that demonstration against the state government. His father owned three acres of land till 1972 when  the government acquired most agricultural land in this part of south Maharashtra to build the Pawna Dam.  Shyamlal's father, like other farmers in the region, moved to Mumbai and worked at a mill for four years, saving up so he could buy a new farm. 

The new plot of 1.5 acres was located not far from his old land. In 1999, the government forced him to sell another half acre for the new expressway being built to connect Pune to Mumbai.

Shyamlal's father died in 2000. Till this week, the one acre that the family owned supported not just Shyamlal and his wife and son, but his 2 brothers and his mother as well.

01)  The above image is a grab of the Police Video, which belies the Police claim that the protesting farmers have attacked them, forcing them to shoot;

02)  On the other hand, they were running away from them, after their lathicharging and teargas shelling;

03)  Other grab of the same video confirms that police, in fact, have aimed and shot to kill the Three farmers as the farmers were some 100 to 200 feet away from the police, to harm them in any way!

04)  These murderers of the first order, in the police garb, must be prosecuted for cold-blooded murder, under IPC 302!!

05)  All the Police Officers having supervising powers over this incident must be dismissed from service, as they are not fit to serve in the force!!!

Full Story at,

http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/a-farmer-killed-fighting-for-his-land-126274

PUNE FORCEFUL LAND ACQUISITIONS: Ruckus in Maharashtra legislature!

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Staff Reporter, The Hindu / MUMBAI, August 10, 2011.

Both Houses of the Maharashtra legislature were adjourned on Tuesday after the Opposition created a ruckus over police firing in Maval taluk of Pune district in the morning.

A group of farmers from Maval, led by leaders of all parties, staged a protest along the Mumbai-Pune Express Highway against the government's decision to supply water from the Pawna dam to Pimpri-Chinchwad in Pune.

Home Minister R.R. Patil told the Assembly that the mob vandalised buses and hurled stones on the police and the people.

However, Leader of the Opposition Eknath Khadse and others contended that at least two persons, including a woman, Kantabai Thaker, lost their lives and 14 others were injured in the firing.

Seeks explanation

The firing was on even as the House was in session, the Opposition said, demanding an immediate explanation from Mr. Patil.

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“Firing inevitable”

Mr. Patil later told journalists that the firing was inevitable as the crowd was setting fire to cars and damaging property, apart from holding up traffic. About 20 policemen were injured and two officers, an additional superintendent of police and one police inspector, were in serious condition, he said.

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Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2340744.ece

FORCEFUL LAND ACQUISITIONS: Four farmers killed in police firing near Pune!

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August 9, 2011 / IANS, Pune / DC.

Three men and a woman were killed near here on Tuesday when police fired at thousands of farmers who blocked highways and turned violent to protest government takeover of their lands.

At least eight protesters and 35 police personnel were injured in the violence and protests that paralysed the old Mumbai-Pune highway and the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.

Police identified the four who died as Shantabai Ankush Thaker, 35, Moreshwar S. Sathe, 40, Shyamrao Waghu Tupe, and Maruti Kirid.

Police said several thousands of angry farmers blocked the highways, resulting in a tailback of vehicles at least 10 km long on both directions.

The farmers were protesting against land acquisition for laying a water pipeline between Pavna Dam in Maval sub-district to the outskirts of Pune city.

Condemning the police firing, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh leader Balasaheb Pingle accused the Maharashtra government of turning a deaf ear to farmers' demands.

Police squarely blamed the demonstrators.

Full Story at,

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/west/four-farmers-killed-police-firing-near-pune-656

UP POLITICS: Rahul yatra in UP may consolidate Cong base!

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July 10, 2011 / By MANISH ANAND, Correspondent, Aligarh / DC.

In the last parliamentary polls, AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi was credited with reviving the Congress in Uttar Pradesh. Of the 80 Parliamentary seats, the Congress secured 22 berths. With the state Assembly polls approaching, Mr Gandhi has once again embarked on a journey to consolidate his party’s base in UP.

This time it’s the farmers’ votebank Mr Gandhi-led Congress is targeting. The farmers’ agitation at Bhatta Parasaul gave the party adequate ground to trigger its war against the Mayawati-led BSP. The 70 kilometre padayatra, carried out by Mr Gandhi was the kick off point, a Congress functionary said. Western UP, known to be a BSP citadel, is being invaded by Mr Gandhi. Moreover, a Congress leader said that the impact of Mr Gandhi’s move to take up the land acquisition issue would be “far reaching, since the policies impact farmers in the entire state.”

Speaking to this newspaper, another Congress functionary felt that the “ farmers in the state are now identifying themselves with Mr Gandhi as his four days tour clearly saw the UP administration getting worried.” He pointed out that the issue of forcible land acquisition “is also relevant in eastern UP”. Therefore, he claimed that Mr Gandhi’s “campaign can position the Congress well in these two regions where the party is somewhat weak”. So far, it’s Congress led by Mr Gandhi which has taken the lead in holding up farmers’ interest. The Congress is now all set to step up its mass contact campaign in the state, sources said.

So, this is all about garnering farmers' votes for the upcoming UP Assembly elections and nothing to do with solving genuine farmers problems of being deprived of their sole means of livelihoods, i.e. the agricultural lands, unjustly!

Full Story at,

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/north/rahul-yatra-may-consolidate-cong-base-916

UP POLITICS, RAHUL'S 'PADA YATRA': U. P. is run by ‘dalals’: Rahul Gandhi!

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PTI / The Hindu / KIRPALPUR, July 7, 2011.

AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi interacts with villagers during the third-day of his 'padyatra' in Kirpalpur village in Aligarh district on Thursday - PTI.

Firing a fresh salvo at the Mayawati Government, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today said “dalals” were running Uttar Pradesh as people of the state are “divided“.

“You are not together. Uttar Pradesh is divided and that is why dalals (touts) are running the state,” Mr. Gandhi said, addressing people in this village on the third day of his padayatra to Aligarh.

“You may not like it. But this is true. Since you are not together that is why this is happening here. Unless you unite, you will continue to suffer. Unless you don’t understand what is happening, the train will not come on its track,” the young Congress leader told the villagers.

Mr. Rahul began his foot march on Thursday from Sarole village in the district at 6.30 a.m. and walked about 7 km to reach here on his way to Aligarh, where he is slated to address a ‘kisan mahapanchayat’ on July 9.

He said he came all the way from Delhi to convey his concern to farmers and people of Uttar Pradesh.

“I started my padayatra from Bhatta-Parsaul which saw the operation by the Mayawati Government on farmers in which many people were killed,” he said.

“I wanted to meet you personally and hear to your problems,” he told the farmers.

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2207309.ece

MAYA PRADESH: Congress gets permission to hold rally!

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Press Trust Of India / Posted on Jul 03, 2011 at 08:38am IST / http://ibnlive.in.com.

Noida: Gautam Budha Nagar district administration Saturday granted permission to the Congress to hold a farmers' rally in Noida to be addressed by Rahul Gandhi. Earlier, administration had refused permission to hold the rally at Bhatta-Parsaul and Jewar areas which had been the epicentre of farmers' agitation in May this year.

Full Story at,

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/up-congress-gets-permission-to-hold-rally/164533-37-64.html

W.B. Poll Promises: West Bengal govt. begins process to handover land in Singur!

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PTI / The Hindu / SINGUR, June 26, 2011.

Farmers near the Tata Motors' project site at Singur. File Photo: Arunangsu Roy Chowdhury - The Hindu.

The West Bengal government on Sunday set the process of formal handover of land to unwilling farmers in Singur in motion by issuing a notice inviting applications for alternative plots of land.

Hooghly DM Sripriya Rangarajan issued the notice which asked unwilling land owners, whose names featured in the schedule prepared by the government in accordance with the Singur Land and Rehabilitation and Development Act, 2011, to apply for alternative plots of equal quantum owned by them inside the project area.

Forms are being distributed at the Singur BDO office by employees of the Block Land Registration Office, the DM said.

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Long queue of applicants..................................................

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http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2136851.ece?homepage=true

ENVIRONMENT & DEVELOPMENT: Forest clearance no license for forcible land acquisition: Jairam!

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PTI / The Hindu.

Villagers block government officials from inspecting the site of a steel plant proposed by South Korea's POSCO Kujanga block of the Jagatsinghpur district on Saturday - Special Correspondent.

Amid protests by locals against land acquisition for Posco’s steel plant in Orissa’s Govindpur village, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Sunday asked the state government not to use environmental clearance for the project as a “license for forcible acquisition of land“.

“The Posco steel-cum-power-cum-port project in Odisha was given environment and forest clearance by the Ministry of Environment and Forests after a great deal of thought and a careful balancing of various factors.

“However, I hope that the state government will not use this clearance as a license for forcible acquisition of land,” Mr. Ramesh said in a statement.

He said the “intent” and “purpose” of the environmental clearance was not to allow forcible acquisition of land.

“I have often said that environment and forest clearance process should not be used to fight other battles that have to do with important issues like land acquisition, compensation and livelihoods...I appeal to the Odisha government to ensure that land is acquired only through peaceful and law-governed means,” the Union Minister said.

Mr. Ramesh,

This is your response to the ongoing forceful land acquisition by the State government of Orissa, for and on behalf of POSCO Steel & Power project!

Hope your final stand on Nagarjuna Construction Company's proposed 1320 MW thermal power plant, where the Congress government is sending security forces to help N.C.C. to acquire 1500 Acres of wetland that has water throughout the year, including 1000 acres of  Beela wetland, threatening the livelihood of three lakh people and rich biodiversity that this supports, would go by your above spirit.

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2098628.ece?homepage=true

Forceful Land Acquisitions: Villagers resist Posco land acquisition drive!

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STAFF REPORTER / The Hindu.

Villagers block the entrance point of the South Korean Steel maker POSCO’s project in Kujanga block of the Jagatsinghpur district on Saturday.

The land acquisition process by the Orissa government for the Posco project in the Dhinkia gram panchayat of Jagatsinghpur district did not make any headway on Saturday following resistance by members of a five-party delegation and villagers.

The gram panchayat remained a hostile region for the district administration that had in the past fortnight stepped up the land acquisition process for the steel plant.

With children and women at the forefront, villagers blocked the land acquisition teams for the second consecutive day, though the administration declared their assembly unlawful.

For five hours on Friday, women and children braved the oppressive sun and did not let the teams backed by scores of police personnel to enter the village.

Alternative route..........................................................................................................

Hundreds of policemen being deployed at the proposed Posco site in Jagatsinghpur. File Photo.

The State's oppression to, forcefully, grab land for industrial investors, denying the fair market price and 'land-for-land' exchange whereby depriving the sole-livelihood of the farmers, tribals and fisherfolk, grossly violating the ruling of the Supreme Court and the High Courts, on these issues.

This has been happening in A.P., Bihar, Rajastan, U.P., West Bengal, Orissa - irrespective of which political party or coalition of them rules.

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2095863.ece