By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 26 Nov: Convenor of the ‘Mool Niwas, Bhoo Kanoon Samanvay Sangharsh Samiti’, Mohit Dimri could not undertake a hunger strike at the Shaheed Smarak located at the District Collectorate here, today, as the Police stopped him from entering the venue and locked up its gates. It may be recalled that Dimri had announced undertaking a fast unto death in support of the demand for strong land and domicile laws.
As Dimri was preparing to sit on a fast unto death, the police locked up the gate of Shaheed Smarak. Later, Dimri announced that he would undertake the hunger strike outside the Shaheed Smarak. He demanded that the government immediately cancel the amendments made to the land laws in 2018. He said that, to realise their dreams, members of the Sangharsh Samiti were going to sit on a fast unto death at Shaheed Smarak, today, but the gate had been locked.
Announcing a hunger strike outside the gate of Shaheed Smarak, Dimri claimed that the rights of those demanding Domicile Laws and Bhoomi Laws are being violated in the state. He alleged that the government has deliberately created significant loopholes in the land laws, allowing big land mafias to acquire the land and the state. Agricultural land is depleting, and farmers are becoming landless. The original residents of the state are not getting jobs and employment. He said that this struggle is to save their identity. He also claimed that all the people of Uttarakhand are supporting this struggle.
Many organisations, including Mahila Manch and Rajya Aandolankari Manch, have supported the Samiti’s proposed hunger strike. The Samiti has also demanded that the details of lands given in the name of investment should be made public. Dimri claimed that the state government is not serious about a strong land law. The government is talking about bringing a land law in the budget session, but the specifics of the law are unclear. He said that all amendments made to the land laws after 2018 should be cancelled through an ordinance.
The Samiti has also demanded that Section-2 of the Land Law should be removed. Due to this section, agricultural land is being lost because of the inclusion of villages in urban areas. More than 400 villages have since been included in urban areas, opening the way to destroy 50,000 hectares of agricultural land. The Samiti further demanded that before passing the land law bill in the assembly, the draft should be made public for review.
Dimri also demanded that criminal cases should be registered against those who have purchased more than 250 square metres of land in the state. The committee also demanded that the original inhabitants (domiciles) be identified and that they must be given 90 percent participation in jobs and government schemes.
Committee General Secretary Pranjal Nautiyal demanded said that the government clarify its intention regarding land laws and domicile. Vice President of Mahila Manch Nirmala Bisht said that women played a leading role in realising the dream of this state by making the supreme sacrifice. Those present also reminded that 42 martyrs made the dream of building a state come true by sacrificing their lives, but today the land laws have been dismantled, and the rights of the native people of Uttarakhand have been snatched away.
