Modi's war against farmers

[Jaggu]

After the 1964 war, Prime Minister Shastri had wanted farmers and soldiers from Punjab and Haryana to settle the barren lands of Kutch as a means of strengthening India's border along Pakistan. These tough farmers worked hard day and night to turn the desert like land into lush farm land. These farmers had sold everything they had in Punjab and Haryana to buy land in Gujarat. Their children were born and raised here marrying in Gujarat and consider themselves Gujarati. Today Modi is trying to take away their farm lands which will result in these farmers becoming homeless.

 

[Puchtoon]

Sikh farmers from Kutch in Gujarat have now reached Delhi to defend their Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

There have been allegations that the state government had seized land documents of hundreds of farmers rehabilitated in the region in the 1960s, saying they were outsiders.

However, around 50 farmers, camping in Delhi now, dismissed allegations that the Gujarat government was being unjust to them.

Leader of the farmers' group Jugraj Singh said they continued to till the land allotted to them and no one was taking away their rights.

He also said the farmers had no plans to return to Punjab.

Actually, of the 784 farmers whose land documents have been seized by the Gujarat government, 153 are from Punjab, 88 from Gujarat and 543 from Rajasthan and Haryana.

Jugraj Singh said land records of only those farmers have been seized who violated a 1973 government notification.

The notification said land that was acquired at the time of the British for farming could not be sold off for any other purpose.

Around 550 farmers from Punjab and Haryana were rehabilitated in Kutch between 1964 and 1984.

Naturally, the support of the farmers will bring relief to Modi since the issue could have affected his relationship with Akali Dal leaders in Punjab.


Read more at: Sikh farmers from Kutch defend Modi govt, say there is no injustice : North, News - India Today


Gujarat defreezes land of 52 Sikh farmers
Kapil Dave, TNNDec 19, 2013, 04.29AM IST

Tags:

• Supreme Court|
• Shiromani Akali Dal|
• NDA|
• Narendra Modi

GANDHINAGAR: In a bid to make life easy for a key NDA ally, Shiromani Akali Dal, the Modi government has decided to defreeze the land of 52 Sikh farmers in Kutch.

The fate of close to 800 farmers from Punjab and Haryana, who had settled in Kutch since 1965, was in the balance after the Gujarat government froze their land ownership in 2010 on technical grounds. The matter is sub judice in the Supreme Court after the state government challenged the Gujarat high court order favouring the farmers in 2012.

"We have defrozen the land of 52 farmers after it was found that the state government had given them santhani (given to landless labourers for farming) land. However, we cannot defreeze land of other claimant farmers as they are not farmers or Santhani land holders as per the government records," said Harshad Patel, collector, Kutch. "We will take a final decision after the Supreme Court decides on the matter," he said.

KN Bhatt, secretary, state revenue department said the land was seized from people who did not have proper records of being farmers. Those who produced records have already got their land back, he said.

Farmers of Punjab, Haryana and other states were invited to settle down in Kutch after the 1965 war to prevent infiltration by Pakistan. In 2010, the state government froze the land holdings of nearly 1,000 farmers under the Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, 1948, which bans sale of agriculture land in Gujarat to people who are not traditional agriculturists. There are around 5,000 Sikh farmers in the region.

SAD was under attack back home owing to the "injustice" meted out to the farmers. Interestingly, Punjab's deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal is may visit the Rannotsav.

(Inputs by Pramod Panwar)

Gujarat defreezes land of 52 Sikh farmers - Times Of India

In 1973 Modi was not in power So Keep your Bullshit Propaganda in your house and Nobody is EVICTED

and BTW law is for all,we don't care what religion your peruse,modi has demolished several illegal temples

 

[Jaggu]

In 1973 Modi was not in power So Keep your Bullshit Propaganda in your house and Nobody is EVICTED

and BTW law is for all,we don't care what religion your peruse,modi has demolished several illegal temples

Only because of pressure from Akali Dal and BJP at center because Modis anti farmer policies were making BJP look bad, now these farmers are afraid that if they become too vocal violence can be used as Modi had done last year against them, so now they are careful not to use Modi's name in this and are just saying Gujarat government. I didn't even bring religion in this, so why are you? These farmers had done nothing illegal. They were invited by PM Shastri to settle these lands as a safey measure along the border. They sold everything they had to buy land in Gujarat.

 

[kaykay]

Freezing of land occured by district administration due to congress party notification issued in 1973. Modi immediately ordered to restore their rights once It came to his knowledge.
Sikh farmers back Modi govt, denies discrimination

 

[Puchtoon]

Only because of pressure from Akali Dal and BJP at center because Modis anti farmer policies were making BJP look bad, now these farmers are afraid that if they become too vocal violence can be used as Modi had done last year against them, so now they are careful not to use Modi's name in this and are just saying Gujarat government. I didn't even bring religion in this, so why are you? These farmers had done nothing illegal. They were invited by PM Shastri to settle these lands as a safey measure along the border. They sold everything they had to buy land in Gujarat.

Ohh ..leave your victimhood ,chimanbhai patel made the act,now you want modi to do favors just because its hurting your sentiments ?

Modi hasn't done anything which is against law and there are not only sikhs/punjabis ,so first read the law and then spread your propaganda .

 

[Jaggu]

Ohh ..leave your victimhood ,chimanbhai patel made the act,now you want modi to do favors just because its hurting your sentiments ?

Modi hasn't done anything which is against law and there are not only sikhs/punjabis ,so first read the law and then spread your propaganda .

Favors? And when did I say it is only Punjabi/Sikhs. There are also Haryanvi farmers. You keep mentioning the Law. Can you state which law those farmers are breaking?

 

[Puchtoon]

Favors? And when did I say it is only Punjabi/Sikhs. There are also Haryanvi farmers. You keep mentioning the Law. Can you state which law those farmers are breaking?

Gujarat Agricultural Lands Ceiling (Amendment) Act, 1972 (AFAIK ,I may be wrong )

 

[Butchcassidy]

Favors? And when did I say it is only Punjabi/Sikhs. There are also Haryanvi farmers. You keep mentioning the Law. Can you state which law those farmers are breaking?

how dare u say something against gods secretary on this,planet

 

[Jaggu]

Gujarat Agricultural Lands Ceiling (Amendment) Act, 1972 (AFAIK ,I may be wrong )

The farmers had taken the Modi government to court over the misuse of lands ceilings act. The high court settled a decision in favour of the farmers. But still the Modi Government decided to not abide by the high court decision and are now taking the case against the farmers in the supreme court.

 

[Puchtoon]

But still the Modi Government decided to not abide by the high court decision and are now taking the case against the farmers in the supreme court.

so that's wrong ?

 

[Roybot]

The farmers had taken the Modi government to court over the misuse of lands ceilings act. The high court settled a decision in favour of the farmers. But still the Modi Government decided to not abide by the high court decision and are now taking the case against the farmers in the supreme court.

Isn't that what the courts are there for?

 

[Roybot]

Minority Commission lies! Gujarat never drove out Sikh farmers | Niti Central

Earlier this week, on July 30, news came in about a report by the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) which stated that the Gujarat Government had ‘prima facie’ discriminated against the 500-member Sikh community in Kutch. A Hindustan Times report quoted NCM member Ajaib Singh, a Sikh, as stating in his report that “Modi, who has the habit of terrorising the minorities in Gujarat, was in this case victimising the Sikh farmers.”

The report is not yet uploaded on the NCM website. Singh has reportedly asked the Government of Gujarat to accept the three-judge Gujarat High Court verdict which ruled in favour of the farmers. Singh has also written to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to intervene in the matter.

Ajaib Singh’s rather exaggerated remark on Modi and his imaginative conclusion on “terrorisation of minorities”, if the HT report is true, indicates a woeful lack of an understanding of the factual backdrop and the legal issues involved. It would be useful to go into the background in some detail.

Under several land laws in force in Gujarat, agricultural land cannot, as a general rule, be purchased by ‘non-agriculturists’. What constitutes an ‘agriculturist’ is defined in those laws as meaning “a person who cultivates land personally.”

On on April 4, 1973, the Revenue Department of the GoG had passed a circular [No. TNC/1073/58184] which essentially implied that if an individual wants to buy agricultural land solely on the strength of his status as agriculturist in a State outside Gujarat, that individual will be a ‘non-agriculturist’ and will be disabled from buying the said land. Two things in particular must be noted about this circular.

First, this circular was issued in April 1973. Which Government was in power then? The Congress’s Government, whose Chief Minister was Ghanshyambhai Oza. Secondly, this circular applied to any individual, not only Sikhs. To exemplify this in the context of Ajaib Singh’s irresponsible statement, although it is almost embarrassing to do so, a Hindu agriculturist from another State would also be subject to the same circular and same prohibitions.

Based on this circular, the District Collector, Kutch (where the lands in question are located) issued instructions to the concerned Mamlatdar to freeze the revenue records pertaining to those lands until further instructions. The Government of Gujarat did not, as the HT or Punjab Newsline headlines suggests, “force out” Sikh farmers or “order them to return to Punjab”. Indeed, as citizens of India, they had every right to live in Gujarat. What Government of Gujarat did was to freeze the revenue records as per the circular till the matter was finally adjudicated.

On behalf of the farmers, it was primarily argued that the definition of ‘agriculturist’ did not expressly specify that that individual had to be an agriculturist in Gujarat. Additionally, discriminating between agriculturists solely on the basis of their place of birth (and not religion, as the NCM reportedly tries to portray) violated Article 15 of the Constitution.

On behalf of the Gujarat Government, it was primarily argued that the land laws were passed by the state legislature to improve the economic and social conditions of those agriculturists cultivating land within the territorial jurisdiction of the State of Gujarat by making them land owners. If out-of-state agriculturists were allowed to buy agricultural land, it could deprive Gujarat’s agriculturists from the benefits of the state’s land laws. Therefore, the definition of ‘agriculturist’ had to be interpreted “purposively”. It is important to note here that a two-judge Bench judgment of the Gujarat High Court had earlier held that an ‘agriculturist’ did mean someone who was cultivating land located within Gujarat.

The three-judge Bench of the Gujarat High Court agreed with the view of the farmers quashing the decision to freeze revenue records as well as the 1973 circular. The matter is now before the Supreme Court.

Whether or not this circular or GoG’s arguments are sound in law is a different matter. Indeed, the decision to freeze the revenue records of these farmers 6-7 years after purchase (most of them had purchased lands in 2006) is amenable to criticism on grounds of delay. Also, the authorities should arguably have shown vigil in ensuring that out-of-State farmers were not able to buy lands in the first place.

What needs to be underscored, however, is how the implementation of a circular which applies to every out-of-State agriculturist since 1973 has been twisted by the Minorities Commission as “victimising” and “terrorising” the Sikh community and how Modi is shown as the creator and villain of this system which “forces out” the Sikhs.

That a person in as high a position as an NCM member would use such words in such an irresponsible manner is rather shameful.

 

[Jaggu]

so that's wrong ?

Isn't that what the courts are there for?

So for 50 years(half a century!) these farmers settled in Gujarat. They worked hard to turn barren land into productive farm land. Now they are being evicted and you see nothing morally wrong in this? If someone connected with the congress had done the same thing against these farmers, you guys would have raised slogans after slogans against them. But because he is Modi you see nothing wrong even when he is clearly wrong. What is the difference between you and the three monkey supporters of Gandhi who are incapable of seeing, hearing or speaking wrong about their leader. what is wrong is wrong my friend.

 

[Puchtoon]

So for 50 years(half a century!) these farmers settled in Gujarat. They worked hard to turn barren land into productive farm land. Now they are being evicted and you see nothing morally wrong in this? If someone connected with the congress had done the same thing against these farmers, you guys would have raised slogans after slogans against them. But because he is Modi you see nothing wrong even when he is clearly wrong. What is the difference between you and the three monkey supporters of Gandhi who are incapable of seeing, hearing or speaking wrong about their leader. what is wrong is wrong my friend.

I don't go by if's and but's...

loook Morally Modi hasn't evicted them & will not evict them , if he does you can cry here and we will all codemn him

 

[Roybot]

So for 50 years(half a century!) these farmers settled in Gujarat. They worked hard to turn barren land into productive farm land. Now they are being evicted and you see nothing morally wrong in this? If someone connected with the congress had done the same thing against these farmers, you guys would have raised slogans after slogans against them. But because he is Modi you see nothing wrong even when he is clearly wrong. What is the difference between you and the three monkey supporters of Gandhi who are incapable of seeing, hearing or speaking wrong about their leader. what is wrong is wrong my friend.

Its not fifty years, don't just blindly believe every thing you read on the internet. Lot of it is propaganda, deliberate distortion of facts, in other words Congressi dirty tactics, you are better than that.

The land in question here were bought in 2006.