Indore: Centre working for big corporates, says Medha Patkar

Social activist Medha Patkar on Monday lashed out at Narendra Modi-led National Democratice Alliance (NDA) government for favouring corporates and foreign companies at the cost of lakhs of farmers in the country.

Social activist Medha Patkar on Monday lashed out at Narendra Modi-led National Democratice Alliance (NDA) government for favouring corporates and foreign companies at the cost of lakhs of farmers in the country.

She also lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign, dubbing the Centre’s campaign as ‘Loot in India’.

“The recent ordinance passed by the Modi government easing the land acquisition rules comes at the cost of environment and interests of farmers and stake holders,” the founder of Narmada Bachao Andolan movement said at a press conference in Indore. “Through the ordinance, the government has cleared its intention to transfer the country’s natural resources into the hands of a few capitalists.”

Patkar gave a ‘Chalo Dilli’ call to all farmers, tribals, urban and rural poor to join the mass movement against land acquisition policies of the government at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on February 24. Jan Lokpal Bill crusader Anna Hazare will also take part in the movement, she said.

Government, on the pretext of development, had acquired about 3.90 lakh square hectare of agricultural land from farmers for the ambitious Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor project, she said. This land was transferred to these vested companies, she added.