Farmers from five villages near Gurgaon – Khandsa, Narsingpur, Mohammedpur, Gadauli Khurd and Harsaru -  are opposing the transfer of 1,395 acres of land to Reliance Industries by Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Corporation (HSIIDC) for setting up a SEZ in the region. Farmers have been up in arms against SEZ to be set up over an area of 25,000 acre from Garhi Harsuru to Badli at the Farrukhnagar-Jhajjar Road. The proposed Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway is also to pass through the same area. The total proposed investment is about $30 billion with more than 10,000 acre for “infrastructure, residential, leisure and entertainment and commercial establishment” with only 6500 acre outlined for industries.  

After visiting the affected areas 8th July 2008 a Janhastakshep, Campaign Against Fascist Designs  team comprising of; Ish Mishra, Sachin and Ramesh went to a Panchayat called by Haryana Kisan Mazdoor Bhoomi Bachao Sangharsh Samiti. For many villagers the situation remained the same, since the 30th of June, the police barricades have only been partially removed causing great inconvenience to the villagers, creating a curfew like situation. The heavy police presence was creating a general sense of fear among the villagers. At Harsaru village, there were heavy earth moving machinery, cranes and work for construction of the wall continued amidst heavy presence of private security guards and the police who prevented all villagers from using the public road. The police cases against 33 people who are leaders or farmers protesting the SEZ were also still in force.

Capt. Satvir Singh of Haryana Kisan Mazdoor Bhoomi Bachao Sangharsh Samiti said that such dialogues with the administration were of no use just as it was pointless to blindly follow laws which were solely created and enforced by a small section of the Indian ruling class to further their own interests. He strongly felt that this Panchayat should not have been held in Gurgaon but at the site itself where Reliance was constructing its wall. He stressed that this government was bent on using the armed might of the state to work as a broker for corporate houses and the only way to make them listen is by speaking to them in the only language they understand - people’s power. He stated that the only path was for a militant farmers resistance. He warned the people from trusting the ruling class parties which might even come out in support, keeping their votes in mind, but would eventually carry on the same anti-people polices once in power. He urged them to overcome their fear of the police and of being arrested and come out in huge numbers and prevent the any further construction by Reliance Industries.

Ish Mishra of Delhi University spoke about the ongoing peasant struggles in other parts of India such as Nandigram, Singur, Kalinganagar, POSCO and Raigarh and the commonality of the attack by corporates on peasantry across the country and how through militant struggles the people have been able to protect their lands. He also reminded and warned the gathering about the tales of lies and deception of the ruling class parties such as the BJP, which had promised to “throw Enron and WTO into the ocean” after coming to power, but did just the reverse and would do the same with the farmers. Shri Mishra also spoke about how the current political parties are increasingly forfeiting our sovereignty, forgetting about the needs of their own people, while slavishly furthering the interests of the US and other developed nations.   

Several other farmers and youth leaders such as Dharambir Kataria, Bhai Rakesh, Shri Parmanand Jhanda, leaders from Bhagat Singh Morcha, also spoke. Shri. Ishwar Jhamb of Jumula village put forward the idea of scrapping all SEZs  and converting them into Special Agricultural Zones while Shri Jagat Singh compared the current ruling class politicians to Nadir Shah who only came to loot and insisted that this loot can only be stopped by the people. The speakers outlined the dangers of the increasing monopolistic control over  India’s resources by a mere a dozen corporate houses and also pointed out the huge losses to the state exchequer through tax exemptions to the SEZs which would eventually also destroy domestic industry. They also expressed their apprehension at the fact that if Reliance builds its mega city, then there would be no water left for irrigation and non for the people of Guragaon and its neighboring villages. Many speakers felt hoodwinked, that; when the Haryana government issued notification for land acquisition under the Land Acquisition Act, there was no mention of any SEZ’s or of the land being sold to private players but quickly sold it to Reliance at a huge profit, even before the ink had dried on the final settlement papers. According to them, the Haryana government  is acting more as a property dealer than an administrator. Many expressed resentment for being cheated in this deal; because when the government used the antiquated Land Acquisition Act 1894 to acquire land at a mere 20 lakh per acre, whereas in neighboring villages, Reliance was buying land directly from farmers at between Rs 4-5 crore per acre. Many also condemned the state police to be reduced to working as private security guards to protect corporate interests at the taxpayers cost.

The Panchayat condemned the Hooda government and its use of police force to suppress people’s protest and insisted that the democratic rights of the affected villages be restored and the police force withdrawn immediately. All speakers stressed on lending their support to the affected villagers and also in steering clear of the machinations of ruling political parties. They were very clear in stating that the government should not misread their agreeing for a dialogue as a sign of weakness- or be prepared to face the actual militant and angry mood of the farmers. The Panchayat decided to send a memorandum to the Governor through the DM at Gurgaon. Hundreds of angry farmers marched to the DM residence shouting slogans of “Down with Reliance-Government hustlers” “Long Live Farmers-Workers Unity”  “We Will Fight We Will Win” “Down with Hooda Government” and many others.

The memorandum demanded :
1.    Remove Police from the villages immediately and withdraw all cases against protestors
2.    Scrap Mukesh Ambani SEZ and Scrap SEZ Act
3.    No to agricultural land for commercial use

Janhastakshep reiterated its stand to support the farmers protesting against the Reliance SEZ for fulfilling their rightful democratic demands.


Prof. N.K.Bhattacharya
Convener
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