Land acquisition ignites mutinies: Study

About a quarter of India's districts are witnessing mass protests over land acquisition issues, according to a study . It identified 252 land conflicts spread over 165 districts, spanning practically all states, in 201314. This is an increase of over 40% over 2012 when an earlier study had recorded 177 disputes in 130 districts. This incendiary situation is the reason behind the bitter debate over the new land acquisition law. While many see takeover of land as essential for industrial development, the problems of compensating and rehabilitating those who get displaced by such projects remain unresolved.It is estimated that projects valued at Rs 6 lakh crore are stalled due to land acquisition issues.

The data on conflicts was collated by the Society for Promotion of Wasteland Development (SPWD) and the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) from media reports and cases pending in high courts and the Supreme Court.

“It is difficult to track all conflicts. We have included conflicts on the basis of a certain level of intensity -if people have been killed or injured in protests, and if more than one village is involved, then we included the case,“ said Viren Lobo of SPWD.

Most of these conflicts arose because of state take over of land, often to transfer it to private entities for various projects. The benefits of projects for which land is taken over do not flow to the people who live there, says Lobo, explaining why there is resistance to land acquisition.

Bijaybhai one of the leaders of Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan, an umbrella front of various movements resisting land acquisition, says that they are not in blind opposition. “If you inform the people, take their consent for what is necessary and sustainable, then there won't be opposition.But wholesale takeover for speculative reasons, destruction of people's livelihoods and repression have generated this resistance,“ he says.

One of the driving factors behind resentment is that land far in excess of needs have been taken over. A recent TOI report had revealed that 53,000 hectares of land acquired for SEZs several years ago are still lying vacant. A report by the Centre for Science & Environment said that between 2007 and 2011, coal thermal power projects with a total capacity of 176,000 MW were approved, which is 40% more than the target up to 2017.

Tribals have been especially hard hit with about 40% of all displaced people till now belonging to these forest dwelling communities. They are often left out of the compensation calculations because their land rights are not recognized.Also, their use of common forests is not given any value.