RANCHI: Kicking off its campaign against the changes made in the state land acquisition bill, the united Opposition parties staged a day-long 'dharna' at Raj Bhawan in Ranchi and other district headquarters all over the State on Monday. Meanwhile, the BJP, in order to reach out to the people directly, also staged 'dharna' at mandal level under its 'pol khol - halla bol' programme against Opposition's move to misguide people for the efforts made by the State Government to simplify land acquisition bill in the State.
The Opposition parties in Jharkhand, making an effort to mobilize people against the ruling BJP alliance in the name of land acquisition bill, has announced stepwise movement starting from June 25 with 'dharna' at all district headquarters. As per the schedule chalked out during a meeting held at the residence of the leader of Opposition Hemant Soren on June 18, a 'sankalp diwas' will be observed on June 30, a 24 - hour Jharkhand bandh has been called on July 5 and a march towards Raj Bhawan will be organized on July 16.
"Today's 'dharna' is against the State Government's move to acquire tribal land forcefully with the help of bullets without having any policy in this regard. This is an attack on the basic character of the tribal people of Jharkhand as the State Government has been making all efforts of loot their land in the State," said former Union Minister Subodh Kant Sahay. During the last three and a half years, this Government has been proved to be an oppressive government, he added.
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha General Secretary and Spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya also alleged that the change in land bill was being done by the ruling BJP alliance only to promote loot of tribal land in Jharkhand. "Now, this is a battle of do or die for us as permission for looting the tribal land could not be given to anybody," said Bhattacharya. 'Dharna' is being staged at all district headquarters in order to mobilize people in our favour to make Jharkhand bandh on July 5 a success, he added.
Central Secretary of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha Santosh Kumar was of the view that the State Government will be compelled to withdraw the land acquisition bill under the pressure of united opposition, as was done in the case of CNT and SPT Act where it had to withdraw the bill after attracting all round protest from within and outside the government.
Following media reports that President Ram Nath Kovind had cleared the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Jharkhand Amendment) Act 2017, JMM Executive President Hemant Soren had given 24 hour time to the State Government to clear its stand.
When the State Government did not pay any heed to the deadline given by Soren, he called a meeting of Opposition Parties at his residence on June 18 and a stepwise schedule was chalked out to corner it over the issue.