A day before the Cabinet approved of the ordinance to amend Land Act, 2013, Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), the economic wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), questioned changes to the Act. The manch opposed acquisition of fertile land for industry and pressed for financial and social security to the farming community.
However, none of the recommendations of SJM have been incorporated in the ordinance. The amendments to the Act instead said multi-crop irrigated land could be acquired for many sectors, including industrial corridors without the “consent” of the farmers. While the issue has irked the top leadership of SJM, none of them is keen to talk to the media as the RSS policy is to “oppose the new government in a guarded manner”.
In its resolution ‘Number 04’ to “Stop foreign dominance in Agriculture” adopted at its national convention a fortnight ago in Bhubaneswar, the SJM said fertile land should not be acquired and opposed acquiring land for “real estate or Special Economic Zones (SEZ).”
“Land of poor farmers is being acquired by real estate people and SEZs, causing tremendous loss of land under agriculture. The SJM believes that farmers, artisans, labours, support activities create important role in development of Swadeshi, self-reliant…Bharat (as) it creates mass employment opportunities,” the resolution stated.
The SJM favoured changes in the existing law (2013 Land Act) “only” when “no acquisition of fertile land is allowed” and in any “exceptional case” when the land is acquired and farmer be made a “shareholder in ventures, projects.” It argued that the ownership of the land “must remain only” with the farmer and a lease of not more than 30 years can be granted.
The SJM also questioned the government’s policy on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). While the Union government has appointed a think-tank to draft an IPR policy, the SJM resolution says the think-tank is functioning “under the shadow of the joint working group with the U.S. and is being influenced by the threats from the U.S. about economic sanctions under the dictates of big pharmaceutical companies for making changes in the existing patent laws of India.”
