Farmers celebrate SC verdict; some open to selling land directly at higher rates
Villagers celebrated the news by bursting fire crackers and distributing sweets. At several choupals in the village, the young and the old alike danced to the beats of drums.
GREATER NOIDA: A wave of celebration and joy swept through Sahberi village of Greater Noida as residents felt vindicated on Wednesday. The Supreme Court upheld the Allahabad High Court order quashing the Greater Noida Authority’s acquisition of land in this village.
Villagers celebrated the news by bursting fire crackers and distributing sweets. At several choupals in the village, the young and the old alike danced to the beats of drums. “It has been a long wait for us and we welcome the decision of the Supreme Court,” said Sarafat Ali, one of the villagers.
“The court was right in saying that land is the mother of farmers. We have got our mother back,” added Ali, who, along with other villagers, had been arrested while protesting against construction activity carried out by builders in Sahberi despite a status quo imposed by the Allahabad High Court last year.
The battle they have been fighting finally paid off. “Neither the Greater Noida Authority , nor the builders listened to us then. Our protests were suppressed . Justice has prevailed today,” added Ali.
For the past few years villagers have resisted tooth and nail all attempts by builders to acquire their land at throwaway prices. The villagers never accepted the compensation offered to them. “In the past few days, builders had been going home to home in the village trying to appease farmers and even bribe them,” said Shiv Kumar Sharma, another farmer of Sahberi.
However, opinion seems to be divided among the young and old as to what they would do with their land now that they have got back possession. “We are open to selling our land directly to builders at a higher cost, but on our own terms and conditions,” said Pradeep Sharma, a young farmer from Shahberi.
The older generation disagrees . “We don’t know anything other than farming and we will continue to farm our lands,” said Sarafat Ali.
Devender Kumar Sharma, one of the petitioners for the farmers in the Allahabad High Court, said, “There were five builders — Mahagun, Supertech , Amrapali, Panchsheel and Ajnara — which were trying to erect boundary walls for their projects. But we protested and stopped their work.”
While the SC verdict has brought about relief for farmers , it has also set panic among thousands of middle-class households who had invested in flats in Greater Noida.
Ravikant Pandey, a quality analyst with a software firm, said, “The Supreme Court decision is welcome but it should also cast its attention upon thousands of innocent middleclass families who have invested in flats in Greater Noida. Their dreams of owning a house have been crushed.”
Other villages of Greater Noida also plan to go the Sahberi way if land is forcibly taken.
“We will go to the Supreme Court when the urgency clause is applied on our lands for acquisition ,” said Sukhbir Pradhan from Roja Jalalpur village. “Our lands were notified for acquisition even though Greater Noida Authority officials said they would have a thorough discussion with us,” he added.
Sukhbir said that villagers would not part with their lands, now that the Supreme Court has given a decision in favour of Sahberi.
Villagers celebrated the news by bursting fire crackers and distributing sweets. At several choupals in the village, the young and the old alike danced to the beats of drums. “It has been a long wait for us and we welcome the decision of the Supreme Court,” said Sarafat Ali, one of the villagers.
“The court was right in saying that land is the mother of farmers. We have got our mother back,” added Ali, who, along with other villagers, had been arrested while protesting against construction activity carried out by builders in Sahberi despite a status quo imposed by the Allahabad High Court last year.
The battle they have been fighting finally paid off. “Neither the Greater Noida Authority , nor the builders listened to us then. Our protests were suppressed . Justice has prevailed today,” added Ali.
For the past few years villagers have resisted tooth and nail all attempts by builders to acquire their land at throwaway prices. The villagers never accepted the compensation offered to them. “In the past few days, builders had been going home to home in the village trying to appease farmers and even bribe them,” said Shiv Kumar Sharma, another farmer of Sahberi.
However, opinion seems to be divided among the young and old as to what they would do with their land now that they have got back possession. “We are open to selling our land directly to builders at a higher cost, but on our own terms and conditions,” said Pradeep Sharma, a young farmer from Shahberi.
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The older generation disagrees . “We don’t know anything other than farming and we will continue to farm our lands,” said Sarafat Ali.
Devender Kumar Sharma, one of the petitioners for the farmers in the Allahabad High Court, said, “There were five builders — Mahagun, Supertech , Amrapali, Panchsheel and Ajnara — which were trying to erect boundary walls for their projects. But we protested and stopped their work.”
While the SC verdict has brought about relief for farmers , it has also set panic among thousands of middle-class households who had invested in flats in Greater Noida.
Ravikant Pandey, a quality analyst with a software firm, said, “The Supreme Court decision is welcome but it should also cast its attention upon thousands of innocent middleclass families who have invested in flats in Greater Noida. Their dreams of owning a house have been crushed.”
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Other villages of Greater Noida also plan to go the Sahberi way if land is forcibly taken.
“We will go to the Supreme Court when the urgency clause is applied on our lands for acquisition ,” said Sukhbir Pradhan from Roja Jalalpur village. “Our lands were notified for acquisition even though Greater Noida Authority officials said they would have a thorough discussion with us,” he added.
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Sukhbir said that villagers would not part with their lands, now that the Supreme Court has given a decision in favour of Sahberi.
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