People's Democracy

AIKS Protests Lathicharge on Farmers

THE All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has condemned the brutal police lathicharge on farmers who were peacefully protesting against the unjust acquisition of land in Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh for Ponty Chaddha’s controversial Wave City. The police action was unprovoked and male police officials brutally attacked even the women protesters. Three women farmers suffered fractures and more than 20 people were injured seriously. The Kisan Sabha has demanded immediate action against the police officials responsible for the barbarity, adding that the deputy superintendent of police Arvind Kumar, caught on camera while brutally attacking women protesters, must be dismissed from service forthwith.

Through a statement issued on January 4 by it president S Ramachandran Pillai and general secretary K Varadha Rajan, the Kisan Sabha expressed solidarity with the farmers of Gautam Budh Nagar who are fighting against unjust land acquisition. It noted that the Wave City Hi-tech Township would affect people of 18 villages. The farmers as well as land and livelihood losers have been fighting against this acquisition for more than 160 days. The farmers have formed a broadbased Kisan Sangharsh Samiti to fight for their rights and demand the implementation of the High Court judgement calling for 64 per cent hike in compensation and allotment of 10 per cent of the developed land for land-losers.

On January 4, a delegation of the Uttar Pradesh Kisan Sabha, under the leadership of S R Bhati, along with farmers met the Greater NOIDA Development Authority representatives to register protest against the police action.

Later, hundreds of farmers including the injured protestors held a protest dharna at Jantar Mantar in Delhi against the incident. AIKS joint secretary Vijoo Krishnan attended the dharna, expressed solidarity with the affected people and called for united struggles against unjust land acquisition.