New Delhi: Keval Singh reached Delhi at 4 AM on Tuesday morning with his wife and four children to protest against the Land Acquisition Bill. Singh, a resident of Katni district in Madhya Pradesh, used to own a land which he alleges has been illegally encroached upon by a corporate house. He has come to Delhi with the hope that social activist and anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare would help him get his land back.
"They have taken our lands, now we don't have anything in our hands. My land was the only source of income I had. We don't want to fight. We just want our lands," said Singh.
Hazare began this two-day protest on Monday against the changes in the Land Acquisition,Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act while accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government of favouring big business. Several farmer organisations and social activists like Medha Patkar are supporting Hazare in his protest.
Raising slogans like 'bhoo adhigharan nahi, bhoo adhikaar chahiye (we want land rights and not land acquisition)', Hazare vowed to continue the protest until the government promises to do make it more beneficial for the land owners.
Launching a scathing attack on the Modi government, Hazare said, "This Modi government is only in favour of corporate houses and industrialists. They are worse than the Britishers. It's time to teach them a lesson."
In a major public agitation against the Modi government several farmer organizations from different states also converged on Jantar Mantar on Tuesday.
In the varied diverse country that India is, farming is one profession that brings people on a common ground. Farmers from states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka were also at Jantar Mantar to support the cause.
MDMK's farmers wing led by V Gopalsamy aka Vaiko from Tamil Nadu also joined the protest.
Paul Raj, a member of MDMK farmers wing said, "Though we can't understand the language and are unable to express properly still we have come here for the cause and will support it to the extent we can."
A widow with a mentally challenged 10-year-old boy was rendered homeless when the JJ cluster she use to live in was cleared to make a hotel. Kaveri Devi, a resident of Sonbhadra district in Uttar Pradesh, said, "Inhone mera ghar todh diya, main apne bacche ko padosiyon ke paas chhod kar aai hoon. Mujhe bas rehne ko ghar chahiye. Tab tak yahan se nahin jaungi jab tak mujhe mera ghar nahi milega. (My house has been demolished. I have left my son with neighbours. I will not go back untill I get my house back)."
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