Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

Movement to press for National Land Authority

Special Correspondent

To start with a `warning march' from Gwalior to Delhi If the Government failed to address land issues within a year, 25000 landless people will march from Gwalior to Delhi on October 2, 2007.

MADURAI: A massive non-violent civil disobedience movement is planned in the country by Ekta Parishad to press for the formation of a National Land Authority to make land available to groups of people on the basis of their population.

The movement will start with a `warning march' by 300 activists from Gwalior to Delhi, from October 2. If the Government failed to address land issues within a year, 25000 landless people will march from Gwalior to Delhi on October 2, 2007.

In the context of globalisation, when the poor were deprived of their lands and multinational companies were gifted with lands by governments land reforms had become a serious issue, said P. V. Rajagopal, president, Ekta Parishad, here on Tuesday. Explaining the purpose of the movement to newspersons, Mr. Rajagopal recalled that land distribution among the masses was seen as a means to contain poverty in the country in the early phase of the Five Year Plans. In the present context, contract farming and corporate farming had become popular.

He said it would be possible to eradicate poverty, contain migration, unemployment, growth of slums and naxalism through land reforms. Consistent efforts made by Ekta Parishad had led to the formation of Land Reforms Task Force in Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh.

There was also need for formation of a Land Commission in every State, as in Bihar, as there were no records to show how much land was available for distribution, he said.

Welcoming the recommendation of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Land Reforms that lands occupied by Adivasis till 2005 should be regularised as "progressive," Mr. Rajagopal said the JPC, of which he is a member, would submit its report on July 31. Simultaneously, a `People's Document on Land and Livelihood' would also be prepared. The Government, he said, would be urged to act on both the documents.

The demands to be put forth by the marchers would be formation of a National Land Authority, Fast Track Courts to settle land disputes and implementation of single window system in all districts to deal with all land matters, including registration and transfer. If the Government failed to act on the demands of the landless, the marchers of 2007 would camp in Delhi, squatting in front of Parliament, till such time land reforms were enforced, Mr. Rajagopal said.

Tsunami yatra

The Ekta Parishad would also organise a padayatra in the tsunami-hit areas, from Cuddalore to Nagapattinam, from August 21 to 31 "to look at land, livelihood and shelter issues."

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