D.H. Pujar and Kumar Samatala, leaders of the Struggle Committee for Land and Shelter, a forum of different organisations and individuals, have called upon people, particularly landless and homeless sections, to support the new movement for claiming rights over lands and shelters that were emerging in the State.
Addressing a media conference here today, they said that the movement hoped to gather momentum for implementing the second round of land reforms aimed at ensuring land for every actual tiller and shelter to all. “The Land Reform Act of 1974 introduced by the Devaraj Urs government did succeed, to some extent, in confiscating excess lands from big landlords and distributing the same among landless peasants. However, a large chunk of dalits, tribals and other sections continued to remain landless thanks to improper implementation of and shortcomings in the Act. Now, a new farmers’ movement is emerging across the country to complete the half-finished land reforms,” Mr. Pujar said.
Condemning successive governments for their ‘disinterest’ in clearing encroachments on government lands and providing the same to poor landless peasants, Mr. Samatala said "As per various commissions constituted by the government itself, over 11 lakh acres of government lands were encroached by landlords, businessmen, politicians and others. Instead of taking action against them, the government has been harassing and evicting small landless farmers who have been cultivating small pieces of government lands for making a living.”
March to Bengaluru
Mr. Samatala announced that the forum would organise agitations in front of the offices of Deputy Commissioners of all districts on July 20 demanding lands and shelters. “On August 20, all these decentralised agitations will converge in a march to Bengaluru,” he added.
