Disgruntled farmers in Lalganj? They’ll do more than just give land for the factory
Disgruntled farmers in Lalganj? They’ll do more than just give land for the factory
LALGANJ (Rae Bareli): The Mayawati government may have cancelled land allotted for the rail coach factory project citing resentment among farmers over acquisition of land. But despite the best of efforts, this correspondent failed to find even one such disgruntled farmer.
“The police and other local officials have been hounding us to give written statements that we don’t want to give our land for the project. But we have told them that we are prepared to give our lives... people here respect Sonia Gandhi like a goddess,” says Suresh Kumar, a farmer at nearby Dakauli village.
“I don’t understand why Mayawati is bent upon destroying the future of our children... I will sit on a fast-unto-death... I will commit suicide if the rail coach factory is not built here.” The emotional outbursts of Phoolmati (62) of Deepemau village in Lalganj (Rae Bareli) amplifies the sentiments here.
Phoolmati had given 10 bighas land for the coach factory. “I had happily given my land hoping that youngsters from our villages will get employment. Now we are told that the project may not come up at all,” she cries.
The 190 hectares, where work on the factory was in full swing till Sunday afternoon, is now a forsaken stretch of land. Heaps of construction material lie abandoned. Hundreds of plastic chairs piled up in neat stacks along with other tent material brought for Sonia Gandhi’s public meeting at the factory site complete the desolate picture.
The Balhemau village ‘pradhan’ Kusum Singh and her husband Raj Kishore Singh have fled because of police pressure, the farmers say.
“The police and district authorities have unleashed atrocities against anyone protesting cancellation of the land... they are being beaten up and arrested under false cases,” says Sripal Yadav.
The sense of fear and anxiety among locals is not without reason. The entire Lalganj area seems to be under curfew, with heavy deployment of police in riot gear. Police vehicles patrol the area and all shops are closed. In fact, Rae Bareli is observing a “bandh” since Monday.
There have been violent protests. Government buses and other vehicles were battered and torched. Protesters defied prohibitory orders and braved caning to raise anti-Mayawati slogans and burn her effigies.
Congress MLA from Sareni (Rae Bareli) Ashok Singh is behind bars with a case slapped against him for allegedly inciting a mob to attack BSP workers and ransack the BSP office. “We thought our dreams of a better future would be realised. But now there is only despair and darkness,” says Phoolmati’s gloom is perhaps just a small sign of the misery that has befallen people here.
Other projects stalled by Mayawati through denial of land are the National Pharmaceutical Research & Training Institute (100 acres), the Rajiv Gandhi Petroleum Institute (200 acres), CRPF Recruitment Centre (225 acres), Hindustan Paper Mill (350 acres) and Hotel Management Institute (25 acres).
g_deepak@dnaindia.net 
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}