For Rahul baba, Bhatta-Parsaul and Jaitapur are Polls Apart!
This is it. Rahul Baba has arrived. He's PM-in-the-making and messiah to the masses. And with a hawk's eye on the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, and general elections in 2014, the unfortunate incidents of Bhatta Parasaul, and his deft handling of the situation could not have been timed better. Politically speaking, of course.
Just for a moment, though, let us spare a thought for the real issue. We're talking about the illegal acquisition of land. Or, such as in the case of Bhatta Parsaul farmers, about non-payment of "reasonable" compensation when their tracts of land are being acquired. To my mind, and I confess it is politically uninitiated, illegal acquisition of land is equally grievous, irrespective of where it occurs. So, it was wrong when it happened to farmers in Tappal village near Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh; wrong also, when indigenous farmers near Orissa's Niyamgiri hills protested Vedanta's mining operations. To me, it is just as objectionable that land should be acquired, forcefully and against local farmers' wishes, in Maharashtra's fertile Konkan region, where an ambitious Jaitapur Nuclear plant, touted as UPA 2's pet project, is being planned.
Having established that I am opposed to the use of force in any part of the country or world, here's my next concern. It's a question I'd like to direct at Rahul baba. Why this selective concern? It's wonderful he played messiah to the farmers of Bhatta Parsaul. If the Gandhi scion can get them adequately compensated, or save those who'd like to keep their land from giving it up, there is little one can complain about. But shouldn't that logic apply universally?
Now, I'm not a Mayawati sympathizer, but I have to confess we love taking pot shots at how erratic Behenji's style of functioning is. Without a doubt, arbitrary decisions are taken in the UP government. It is unarguable also that farmers are getting a raw deal. But though Rahul Baba has so graciously stepped in to play knight in shining armour to the farmers at Bhatta Parsaul, been arrested for their benefit and even lead an 8-member delegation of farmers to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, he's never once glanced the Konkan way. Why?
Think about it. Isn't it unnatural that a man so committed to the masses--from Niyamgiri to Bhatta Parsaul--must let his commitment be region-driven? Why should the Maharashtra farmer be elbowed out of the Baba-will-bail-you-out bandwagon?
If the youth leader is alleging police atrocities against farmers in Bhatta Parsaul, how is it that similar incidents in Jaitapur should go unnoticed? If 74 farmers were allegedly set on fire in Bhatta Parsaul by the police, 30-year-old Tabrez Sayekar was also gunned down by the men in Khaki in Jaitapur. In addition, the police have, almost routinely, cane-charged hundreds more. But none of this seems to matter. Is it because it is a Congress-NCP-led state; so it must be handled differently? And that is why Rahul baba need not step in? Even if we disregard the specifics for just a moment, here's the main question Rahul baba should answer. How is acquisition of land for nuclear power plant justified, when UP government's land acquisition for building roads is not?
At the time the Tappal fracas broke out, we unanimously agreed that putting fertile land to commercial use was a bad idea. Any fertile land, anywhere. Then it was argued that development is necessary. Roads and infrastructure need to be built. We still agreed land must not be taken away forcefully. Those who do not wish to part with their land must be allowed to make that choice. And where they did agree, farmers must get attractive compensation packages, in addition to being resettled and rehabilitated in accordance with the policy framework governing the subject. When the Niyamgiri hills issue raised its head, the same concerns were voiced. As a result, the fate of the Vedanta project continues to hang in balance owing to environmental and local concerns.
Jaitapur is no different. The fertile Konkan belt produces the world renowned Alphonso mangoes; its verdant fields grow cashew, coconuts, and rice; the mainstay of the locals is fishing. Here, the lure of money isn't silencing the local land owners. They are not seeking "adequate" compensation; they simply don't want a potentially dangerous nuclear plant on their forcefully-acquired farmlands. A young man was recently gunned down while protesting; women are brutally thrashed, local activists externed and RTI activists mysteriously run over. But since the self-anointed yuvraj hasn't motor-biked his way into Jaitapur, the villagers can quietly suffer. Perhaps, Rahul baba is too busy helping the farmers of election-ready Bhatta Parasaul to notice?
Now let's, for a moment, forget the farmers. Let's talk politics. Now the pieces finally start to fall in place. In UP, helping the farmers is a part of poll preparation; both for the Congress party and for Rahul Gandhi. That it directly attacks the ruling party is a convenient and additional benefit. And if it genuinely helps a few in the process (No, I'm not suggesting there's no philanthropy to it!), even better.
In Orissa, the outcome of the Vedanta fracas doesn't seem to matter. The on-going tussle between the ministry of environment and the PMO over the issue means that any intervention from the party is scarcely necessary.
But Jaitapur is different. Governed by the Congress, Maharashtra must be tackled carefully. Gandhi has to lend his silent support to the PM's 'pet project', at least for now, considering the state polls are only three years away. As for the fellow feeling he was displaying in Bhatta Parsaul, maybe it will come to the fore in 2014, closer to when Maharashtra prepares for its assembly elections.
This is it. Rahul Baba has arrived. He's PM-in-the-making and messiah to the masses. And with a hawk's eye on the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, and general elections in 2014, the unfortunate incidents of Bhatta Parasaul, and his deft handling of the situation could not have been timed better. Politically speaking, of course.
Just for a moment, though, let us spare a thought for the real issue. We're talking about the illegal acquisition of land. Or, such as in the case of Bhatta Parsaul farmers, about non-payment of "reasonable" compensation when their tracts of land are being acquired. To my mind, and I confess it is politically uninitiated, illegal acquisition of land is equally grievous, irrespective of where it occurs. So, it was wrong when it happened to farmers in Tappal village near Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh; wrong also, when indigenous farmers near Orissa's Niyamgiri hills protested Vedanta's mining operations. To me, it is just as objectionable that land should be acquired, forcefully and against local farmers' wishes, in Maharashtra's fertile Konkan region, where an ambitious Jaitapur Nuclear plant, touted as UPA 2's pet project, is being planned.
Having established that I am opposed to the use of force in any part of the country or world, here's my next concern. It's a question I'd like to direct at Rahul baba. Why this selective concern? It's wonderful he played messiah to the farmers of Bhatta Parsaul. If the Gandhi scion can get them adequately compensated, or save those who'd like to keep their land from giving it up, there is little one can complain about. But shouldn't that logic apply universally?
Now, I'm not a Mayawati sympathizer, but I have to confess we love taking pot shots at how erratic Behenji's style of functioning is. Without a doubt, arbitrary decisions are taken in the UP government. It is unarguable also that farmers are getting a raw deal. But though Rahul Baba has so graciously stepped in to play knight in shining armour to the farmers at Bhatta Parsaul, been arrested for their benefit and even lead an 8-member delegation of farmers to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, he's never once glanced the Konkan way. Why?
Think about it. Isn't it unnatural that a man so committed to the masses--from Niyamgiri to Bhatta Parsaul--must let his commitment be region-driven? Why should the Maharashtra farmer be elbowed out of the Baba-will-bail-you-out bandwagon?
If the youth leader is alleging police atrocities against farmers in Bhatta Parsaul, how is it that similar incidents in Jaitapur should go unnoticed? If 74 farmers were allegedly set on fire in Bhatta Parsaul by the police, 30-year-old Tabrez Sayekar was also gunned down by the men in Khaki in Jaitapur. In addition, the police have, almost routinely, cane-charged hundreds more. But none of this seems to matter. Is it because it is a Congress-NCP-led state; so it must be handled differently? And that is why Rahul baba need not step in? Even if we disregard the specifics for just a moment, here's the main question Rahul baba should answer. How is acquisition of land for nuclear power plant justified, when UP government's land acquisition for building roads is not?
At the time the Tappal fracas broke out, we unanimously agreed that putting fertile land to commercial use was a bad idea. Any fertile land, anywhere. Then it was argued that development is necessary. Roads and infrastructure need to be built. We still agreed land must not be taken away forcefully. Those who do not wish to part with their land must be allowed to make that choice. And where they did agree, farmers must get attractive compensation packages, in addition to being resettled and rehabilitated in accordance with the policy framework governing the subject. When the Niyamgiri hills issue raised its head, the same concerns were voiced. As a result, the fate of the Vedanta project continues to hang in balance owing to environmental and local concerns.
Jaitapur is no different. The fertile Konkan belt produces the world renowned Alphonso mangoes; its verdant fields grow cashew, coconuts, and rice; the mainstay of the locals is fishing. Here, the lure of money isn't silencing the local land owners. They are not seeking "adequate" compensation; they simply don't want a potentially dangerous nuclear plant on their forcefully-acquired farmlands. A young man was recently gunned down while protesting; women are brutally thrashed, local activists externed and RTI activists mysteriously run over. But since the self-anointed yuvraj hasn't motor-biked his way into Jaitapur, the villagers can quietly suffer. Perhaps, Rahul baba is too busy helping the farmers of election-ready Bhatta Parasaul to notice?
Now let's, for a moment, forget the farmers. Let's talk politics. Now the pieces finally start to fall in place. In UP, helping the farmers is a part of poll preparation; both for the Congress party and for Rahul Gandhi. That it directly attacks the ruling party is a convenient and additional benefit. And if it genuinely helps a few in the process (No, I'm not suggesting there's no philanthropy to it!), even better.
In Orissa, the outcome of the Vedanta fracas doesn't seem to matter. The on-going tussle between the ministry of environment and the PMO over the issue means that any intervention from the party is scarcely necessary.
But Jaitapur is different. Governed by the Congress, Maharashtra must be tackled carefully. Gandhi has to lend his silent support to the PM's 'pet project', at least for now, considering the state polls are only three years away. As for the fellow feeling he was displaying in Bhatta Parsaul, maybe it will come to the fore in 2014, closer to when Maharashtra prepares for its assembly elections.