Former Minister and veteran Congress leader A.H. Vishwanath on Friday launched a Post Card Campaign against the Centre’s decision to promulgate an ordinance to amend the Land Acquisition Act 2013.
Flanked by his supporters and farmers’ representatives, Mr. Vishwanath posted a card to President Pranab Mukherjee at the post box near the Mysore City Corporation (MCC) office urging him to reject the ordinance promulgated by the Narendra Modi Government to amend the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013.
The Centre had recently issued an executive order that sought to ease land acquisition for various projects in infrastructure, power and defence.
Describing the ordinance as not only “anti-farmer”, but also as “anti-people” and “anti-humanity”, Mr. Vishwanath said the post card campaign seeks to urge the President not to sign the ordinance.
He said the post card campaign, which cuts across party lines, also involves representatives from farmers and youth organisations.
The second phase of the campaign involves a convention to be held at the Institution of Engineers here on January 25 to be attended by representatives from not only Congress, but also JD (S), farmers’ and youth organisations. While MPs will agitate against the ordinance in the Parliament, the MLAs will raise their voice in the State Assemblies in the next phase, he added.
Mr. Vishwanath said sending postcards was an old campaign style, which had been revived to fight the Narendra Modi government’s excesses. “We have told students and farmers to write to the President asking him not to sign the ordinance," he said.
“What was the need to bring in an ordinance barely 15 days after the Parliament ended? Could it not have been introduced in the form of a Bill when the Parliament was in session?” Mr. Vishwanath asked.
