All India Kisan Sabha to launch protest against Land Ordinance

NEW DELHI: Terming the recent land ordinance as "draconian", two Left peasants' organisations today slammed the government's move saying it was "destructive" for the livelihood of farmers and agriculture and announced a nationwide protest against it.

"This is a draconian ordinance, Modi government wants to come out with a new law which will pave the way for the corporatisation of agriculture in the future," All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) leaders Hannan Mollah and Atul Kumar Anjan told reporters here.

The organisations, both bearing the same name but owing allegiance to CPI(M) and CPI, announced joint agitational programmes across the country on January 31 and a protest outside Parliament later.

Mollah questioned the government's move to amend the land acquisition legislation through an ordinance without going to Parliament, charging the BJP-led dispensation with promoting the interests of corporates and land mafia.

"This is a motive to serve corporate houses. There is a new nexus forming between corporate houses and the land mafia being patronised by the PM Narendra Modi himself," Anjan said.

Maintaining that the ordinance ignored the concerns of farmers, he said that the new legislation would nullify the positive aspects of the Land Act of 2013 which gave the farmers a say in the use of their land.

"This ordinance allows indiscriminate land acquisition by not taking the consent of the land owners. Whatever positives were drafted and made the part of 2013 Act are being snatched away," Anjan said.

The All India Kisan Sabha is now planning spontaneous nation-wide protest against this land ordinance legislation, by burning copies of the ordinance at the District Collector's office throughout the country.

"We have given a call to the All India Kisan Sabha to organise throughout the country a protest on January 31 and burn the copies of this ordinance. We will organise a massive demonstration in front of Parliament before the budget session starts," Anjan added.