Bihar’s Poor Protest The Government “Bulldozer” Eviction Plans
On 14 March, thousands of dalits and poor under the joint banners of AIARLA and MNREGA Mazdoor Sabha held a wrathful protest in front of the Bihar Vidhan Sabha with the demands including: bulldoze the government that threatens to bulldoze the people; government land is our land; enact a new vaas-awaas (homestead land) law; guarantee 200 days of work and on the spot payment in MNREGA; stop evicting the poor without prior alternative arrangements; implement Land Reform Commission's report; 200 units free electricity for dalits and poor; smart phones for poor children; Rs 3000 old age pension; regularize PDS system.
The march started from Gate Public Library with banners and posters displaying the above demands and culminated in a mass meeting at the dharna site in Gardanibagh. It was led by AIARLA Honorary President former MP Rameshwar Prasad, AIARLA General Secretary Dhirendra Jha, MLAs and other AIARLA leaders. Addressing the meeting, the leaders said that dalits and the poor have surged to Patna today to bulldoze the government that is threatening to bulldoze poor people. We are well aware of the Nitish government's betrayal in the matter of land for dalits and the poor. This government consigned the Land Reform Commission report to the dustbin at the behest of feudal forces and now it is busy with an eviction drive to throw out the poor settled on the land for years.
They said that the government should give 'vaasgeet parchas’ (homestead land papers) to people wherever they are settled. A new law should be enacted on the basis of a comprehensive survey of the landless and homeless, and the poor must not be evicted without prior alternative arrangements under any circumstances. MNREGA wages in Bihar are much lower than the market rate. The government should raise the wages and also guarantee 200 days' work and on the spot payment of wages. If even a single poor person is evicted without alternative arrangement, an even bigger movement will be organized throughout Bihar.
They further said that a campaign would be organized for 200 units free electricity for the poor and dalits. Demands were also raised for disbursement of dal, oil, and spices along with rice and wheat under the PDS system and Rs 3000 monthly pension for all men and women above 60 years of age.
The leaders said that recently a Niti Ayog report has been published which shows Bihar to be the poorest state. Bihar's performance is miserable with regard to landlessness, homelessness, education and employment. MNREGA has been turned into a scheme for looting and corruption is rampant in every scheme. What can be more tragic for Bihar than the fact that a mere 5000 workers have got 100 days' work under MNREGA and even out of these, most are fake job-card holders? The government does not have a sensitive agenda for migrant workers. Dalits, workers and the poor find no place on the development map. Therefore, the need of the hour is for forging unity amongst dalits, workers, and the poor and organizing a mass struggle.
