While blasting the state for its industrialist-friendly policies, social activist Medha Patkar dared the govt with another ‘freedom struggle’.
While blasting the state for its industrialist-friendly policies, social activist Medha Patkar dared the government with another ‘freedom struggle’. Patkar, who on Monday led a protest against the displacement of the poor due to misplaced ‘development’ policies like the formation of Special Economic Zones in the state, alleged that while the government’s was favouring big names in the industrial sector, it was least bothered about the displacement it was causing.
Patkar was forced to hold the meeting at the starting point of the rally — Sandhurst Road near Dongri — when the protestors, including hundreds of displaced hawkers, peasants, labourers, Project Affected Persons (PAPs) and civil liberty groups from various parts of the state, were stopped by the city police in their steps.
Many activists, including Medha Patkar were caned and pushed into the waiting police vans and lodged at Azad Maidan police station.
Speaking at Azad Maidan, Patkar pointed out that development and displacement are the two sides of the same coin. “To displace people from their livelihood by evicting the urban poor from their homes, taking away fertile lands of farmers and tribals, depriving fishermen from fishing are some of the grave issues of misplaced development plaguing the country,” Patkar said.
Upping the ante against the ill-planned development, Patkar demanded a true and just development of all people. “Our leaders should stop uprooting and displacing poor and working class people from their livelihoods in the name of development,” she said.
Simpreet Singh, an activist, said “We oppose the Maharashtra government’s decision to repeal the Urban Land and Ceiling Act, as it will further help the interests of the builder lobby and a few elite people.”
“On the contrary, the state government should implement ULCA to buy or seize surplus lands and re-distribute the same among displaced people after asking them to form societies,” she added.
The protestors also decided to submit a memorandum to CM Vilasrao Deshmukh and Deputy CM R R Patil, demanding immediate revoking of the SEZ Act, cessation to demolition of slums and illegal encroachment of land by builders.
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