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Tata deal exposes BJP disconnect
What is poison in Singur is manna in Chhattisgarh, reports Ejaz Kaiser.
Displaying double standards, the Bharatiya Janata Party is supporting Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee in her protest against West Bengal's Singur land deal with the Tatas, while its government in tribal Chhattisgarh is busy earmarking over 6,000 acres for the steel plant proposed by the business house.
But it is not getting any support from the native tribals. Although the Raman Singh government claims the villagers have passed a gram sabha resolution accepting the land acquisition, tribals in the Lohandiguda block of Bastar say they do not want to part with their land.
Bastar district collector GS Mishra said the gram sabha had unanimously passed the mandatory resolution to turn over the land for the Tata steel's proposed Bastar project. But the process seems to have collapsed after Lohandiguda villagers alleged malpractice in the gram sabha voting.
"Why should I give up my land which has been the source of livelihood for generations now?" tribal Keshu Markam asked.
Tata Steel wants to invest Rs 10,000 crore in a 5 million tonnes per annum capacity steel plant over 6000 acres covering 10 Bastar villages. The Chhattisgarh government signed the memorandum of understanding with it on June 4.
The villagers want the state government to accept 13 demands in lieu of their land. A senior official said the government finds the demands too stiff. One of them is 'land for land', which the state government rejected outright.
President of Akhil Bhartiya Adivasi Mahasabha Manish Kunjam said no tribal wants to part with his land. "The gram sabha's resolution was passed under threat", Kunjam alleged.
Forty-four per cent of Chhattisgarh is forest land. Access to which requires permission under the Forest Conservation Act. The alternative to obtaining land for industrial development is private land, which is limited at only 36 per cent land. In the rural regions, most of the 34 per cent tribal population depends on agriculture for livelihood.
Email Ejaz Kaiser: ejaz.kaisar@hindustantimes.com
