AIKS welcomes the SC Judgment on the Singur land acquisition

The Supreme Court judgement on the Singur land acquisition for the Tata motors is a significant judgement that is bound to have far-reaching implications for future land acquisition for any project as well as livelihoods of the peasantry and other dependants on land. The Kisan Sabha on the basis of the different experiences of land acquisition under the colonial Land Acquisition Act of 1894 had felt the need to rethink our own position on this matter. It is on the basis of this that the Kisan Sabha had arrived on a position that the principle of prior informed consent, a scientific land use policy, tight definition of public purpose, a binding social impact assessment, safeguards for food security, livelihood security for all dependents on land were to be inviolable components of any legislation that replaced the colonial act. A clear distinction was made between land acquisition by the government for public purpose and by private entities for profiteering. It was also the unique contribution of Kisan Sabha to stress that only the bare minimum land which was actually required for the project should be considered legal. Experience also taught us that the return of unutilised land gratis to the original land owners after adequate investment by the state to develop the land and make it cultivable must be an important component of such an act. This led us to campaign for Zameen Wapsi at all sites where land had been acquired on different pretexts but remained unutilised. The Kisan Sabha had also come up with specific suggestions for return of land for land wherever possible, enhanced compensation, effective rehabilitation and resettlement provisions as well as safeguards for the livelihoods of agricultural workers, tenant farmers/sharecroppers, artisans and other sections dependent on land. Specific suggestions were also made for ensuring that the dependents on land will get a regular share on the basis of enhanced value of land as well as the profits accrued due to change in land use. Special protective measures to safeguard the land rights of the adivasis and dalits was also suggested. It also recognised that all productive cultivable land, fragile ecosystems, paddy lands, water bodies and common property resources must also be safeguarded. Stringent adherence to the Forest rights act as well as provisions of the PESA to protect the interests of adivasis and traditional Forest dwellers was also stressed upon.It was on the basis of this position that the Kisan Sabha was able to rally around wide sections to take a common approach when UPA Government had come up with the bill to replace the land acquisition act of 1894.The Supreme Court judgement has in fact addressed many of these issues.

On the basis of this position the Kisan Sabha was also able to find common ground with a lot of groups working on land rights as well as against unjust land acquisition and build a issue-based unity against the land acquisition ordinance brought by the Narendra Modi led BJP government forcing the government onto the back foot. Serious efforts are on to percolate these issue-based unities to different states ruled by the BJP, Congress or their allies as well as other regional parties where draconian measures are being put in place to facilitate corporate land grab. The All India Kisan Sabha is committed to building broadest possible unity against corporate land grab as well as loot of resources. We are also in the process of building a unity on the ground against indiscriminate land acquisition for industrial corridors, smart cities and Real estate speculation. In this regard we would like to humbly accept that our own position has evolved based on different experiences of different states with regard to land acquisition in the name of industrialisation, infrastructure development, SEZ, industrial corridors and smart cities. The lessons learnt also strengthen our resolve to remain committed and continue with this well thought-out position against the neoliberal model of development.

Sd/-
Amra Ram, President
Hannan Mollah, General Secretary
New Delhi
3rd September, 2016