Jan Adhikar Rally in Champaran against Land Loot-Ganna Loot Raj
A Jan Adhikar (People’s Rights) rally was organised on 5 February 2019 at the Maharaja Stadium in Betiya (Champaran, Bihar) with the slogan ‘Oust BJP-Save Constitution, Save Democracy-Save Freedom’. This rally was organised amidst the ongoing agitation by landless poor and sugarcane (Ganna) farmers against land loot and sugar cane loot. Workers and farmers from far-flung villages attended the rally and expressed the resolve to wage a united fight for their rights. The rally saw an impressive participation by women and youth.
Addressing the thousands present at the rally, CPI (ML) General Secretary Com. Dipankar Bhattacharya demanded that all the false cases against those agitating against land loot and sugar cane loot should be withdrawn, and the Modi Government will be punished for flouting farmers’ demands and the Constitution of India. He said that a large scale drive is on in Bihar to evict the poor from their lands. This drive is even more accelerated in Champaran. What an irony that the British Raj law of ‘court of wards’ is still implemented in Champaran, the land of Gandhi’s Satyagraha movement whose centenary was celebrated last year with such fanfare! What then is the meaning of ‘independence’ in the country? Incidents of crime, communal violence and mob lynching have increased alarmingly under the Nitish government which makes such tall claims of intolerance towards crime, corruption and communalism. The need of the hour is to form an anti-BJP front with a strong Left presence to root out and throw out this anti-people government.
AIARLA Secretary Com. Dhirendra Jha said that the Modi government is looting farmers’ and homestead land, crops, rations, health and education scheme funds, scheme workers’ labour, as well as natural resources. He appealed to the people to join in large numbers the march to the Bihar Assembly on 18 February against eviction from land and loot of crops with the slogan ‘The land we are settled on is ours; government land is ours’.
Com.Virendra Prasad Gupta said that Nitish Kumar’s Public Grievance Redressal Act has become a weapon with which to evict the poor from their lands. The rally, conducted by Com. Sunil Kumar Rao, was also addressed several leaders from AICCTU, AIARLA and CPI (ML.)
In preparation for the rally, intensive campaigning had been done in Valmikinagar, Bagaha, Ramnagar, Narkatiyaganj, Gaunaha, Mainatand,Sikta, Chanpatiya, Majhauliya and Bairiya. The campaign focused on the demand to increase sugar cane prices to Rs 400 per quintal, payment on time to farmers, and an end to short-weighing.
Earlier, in the agitation between 15 and 22 December 2018 effigies of the sugarcane Minister were burnt across the District. Dozens of farmers’ meetings were held in January and a massive dharna was held in front of the Collector on 21 January. Several protest programs were organised against the draconian British Raj law ‘court of wards’.
Participation of the urban poor was enlisted with campaigns in Lalunagar, Krishnanagar, Koda Beldari,
Another issue highlighted during the rally was the eviction of forest dwellers in the name of the Valmikinagar Tiger Project and their right to livelihood under the Forest Rights Act. People attended the rally in large numbers even from far-flung areas despite lack of convenient transport.
The rally also strongly condemned and opposed every incident of communal violence and mob lynching and the BJP-RSS attempts to spread communal hatred and incite riots in the District.
