(A team of Janhastakshep consisting of Prof. Imtiaz Ahmed, Former Professor, JNU, Delhi, Anil Dubey,  Sr. Journalist and  Jagdish Yadav Sr. Photo Journalist visited some villages in Kosambi district which had seen police attacks on sand workers, poor peasants and agricultural labourers. We are reproducing here the press note issued by the team on 18-03-2010.)

The State Government and District Administration should immediately stop illegal operating of machines for harnessing sand in the kachar areas of Kosambi District, and start the process of negotiations with the struggling villagers and their organizations for distribution of pattas (title deeds) to the local poor so that peace is restored in the Ganga-Yamuna doab areas. Side by side, as per the directions issued by the National Womens Commission, the Administration should ensure harvesting of crops sown by the poor on kachar land in Ujihini.

            A team sent by Janhastakshep, Delhi, to enquire into recent happenings in Ujihini and Nanda ka pura talked to all sides and reached the following conclusions:

            The Janhastakshep team found during enquiry that, while on the one hand the MNREGA Programme is being implemented in the country to help the poor, on the other hand in a backward district like Kosambi the State Government and BSP Members of Parliament are depriving the poor sections of society living along the banks of Ganga and Yamuna of their long-standing, traditional means of livelihood. The Sand and Fish mafia in collusion with the Administration has mounted a concerted attack on the livelihood of the poor settled along the rivers.

            One thing that clearly comes out of the enquiry is that in both the villages the fundamental issue is related to livelihood. Local toughies and powerful elements are taking control over fishing, harnessing sand from river bed, cultivating kachar lands when they are not submerged under water, cutting kasa (grass used for making rope) and transporting goods and people across the river on which the local poor communities depended for survival. Against this the poor villagers are mobilizing themselves. This has brought forth extended intimidation which is illustrated by the happenings in Ujihini and Nanda ka purwa villages.

            The issue of wage labour is also highly complicated.  In this area agricultural wage labourers are paid between Rs. 15-25 for the days work. The District Administration has at no time taken steps to ensure that the wage fixed by the Government is paid to wage labourers. The local toughies and powerful elements aided and abetted by the law enforcement agencies has been intimidating and punishing them. Such happenings were cited by the local villagers during the team’s enquiry.

In the happenings in Ujihini the issue of kachar land is of central concern to the poor Pasi, Nishad, Muslim and other sections of society. Thousand acres of this land should legally be distributed among these disadvantaged sections. The District Administration has only been promising the distribution of this land. It has been busy trying to give a caste or communal colour to the struggle for distribution of land, all the more because the economic interest of the local landlords and fish mafia is directly involved. In a part of the kachar land in this village the poor have grown a crop (peas). The local toughies and police are hell bent on preventing them from harvesting the crop. This is so despite the law that whosoever sows the crop has a right to harvest it. The local toughies and the police, which is now stationed in the village, attacked several houses, broke their limited assets and dishonoured women, and subsequently the police arrested many minor girls. They were released after intervention by the National Womens Commission. The team has seen a copy of the directions in which the Commission has specifically directed the local administration to ensure peaceful harvesting of the crop.

            The team found during its enquiry that because of the fear of attacks by local toughies and arrest by the police the men have left their livelihood and run away from their homes. Several FIRs have been filed against some of them for violating Section 144 which the local authorities claimed was promulgated only for a brief period during the Holi festival. If the administration claim is true, why the people were arrested before and after Holi begs an answer.

            It was shocking to learn that while workers have been waging a peaceful and democratic struggle led by the AIKMS for their livelihood issues for a long time, the administration has used its several FIRs to book 17 AIKMS leaders under provisions of the Gangster Act. And this is when none of these leaders have any criminal record. This is probably for the first time that leaders of farmers have been called Gangsters. It speaks volumes for the anti poor attitude of Mayawati govt.

            In the case of Nanda ka purwa it is clear that the poor villagers have lived in harmony with each other earning their livelihood through sand excavation, agriculture etc. It is mainly outside anti social elements with political connections and aided by the police who have tried to give the dispute a colour of caste fight. The police has played the main role in beating up the villagers, looting and destruction of property and this has been done twice, on January 24 and on March 1 and 2, this year.

            The team after due enquiry suggests that immediate relief should be provided to the affected people and calls upon the State Government and the District Administation to initiate immediate action in this direction. It specifically recommends:

1.   Illegal machines and loaders operating for harnessing sand along the Yamuna river should be stopped. Such machines are operating in Mahila, Maheba and other places.

2.   The process of distribution of pattas for kachar land should be set in motion without further delaly.

3.            District administration should ensure safety of the local people to enable them to harvest their standing crop in Ujihini.

4.   FIRs filed to implicate local people in a bid to intimidate them should be immediately withdrawn.

5.   The imposition of Gangster Act on AIKMS leaders should be immediately withdrawn.

6.   Return to their homes of people who have fled for fear of the local toughies and the police should be ensured and their safety should be secured.

7.   Legal provisions for fishing, harnessing sand, cutting casa bushes and cultivation of kachar land should be implemented.

8.   The auctioning of fishing rights should be done away with in Kosambi and the poor people whose livelihood depends on it should be given fishing rights.

9.   The PAC stationed in the local area should be withdrawn immediately and a process of negotiation with the struggling villagers and their organizations should be initiated.

10. All losses of property suffered by the villagers should be documented and compensated by the state. Cases must be lodged against all policemen responsible for these attacks