Land Compensation Row: GSS bails out, GVS parachutes in
Staff Correspondent
Port Blair, May 09: The eight year long struggle of tsunami affected farmers of South Andaman for tsunami land compensation has finally making waves in Administration and getting media attention but the long struggle is also getting political colour, much to the dismay of most of the agitating farmers.
The agitation was initially led by a non-political body, named, Gram Sudhar Sangha (GSS) but recently the GSS has bailed out of the agitation and expressed faith on the Lt. Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Many suspect that this move was made because the Member of Parliament was becoming too popular among the Tsunami landless farmers, who till now had blind faith in Congress.
Though many believe that the decision has political reasons, but talking to Andaman Sheekha the President of Gram Sudhar Sangam, Mr. A P Mohammed clarified that there is no pressure from any political party or Administration for his decision to stay out of the proposed agitation of landless farmers to be held on 14 May 2012.
“I have faith on Lt. Governor. He has assured us that by June our demands will be met and I would prefer to wait till June. There are lot of poor farmers, who urgently need the compensation amount. I believe it would be better to launch agitation for land after getting the compensation amount,” Mr. A P Mohammed told Andaman Sheekha today.
He said that farmers of South Andaman are upset with Congress Party for not supporting their last dharna, which was organized on April 19,2011.
To deal with this crisis, another parallel non-political body Gram Vikas Samity was formed by some villagers and the Member of Parliament, Mr. B P Ray, to lead the movement but not many farmers have faith on this new body, which is headed by people from BJP background.
When asked about politicizing the entire movement the General Secretary of Gram Vikas Samity, Mr. Rajesh Kumar Lall said that Gram Vikas Samity is a non-political body and doesn’t have any political ambition.
“Yes, some people are politicizing this issue as Administration doesn’t want this rally but Gram Vikas Samity is a non-political body and we welcome those who want to join us and also those who don’t,” Lall told Andaman Sheekha.
Rajesh Kumar Lall added that the many Pradhans and grassroot leaders from both Congress and BJP are already supporting the Gram Vikas Samity and will join the 14, May 2012 rally.
“We are expecting more than 1000 people in the rally. Every tsunami affected farmer will join the rally and we would gherao the Raj Niwas,” Lall added.
Meanwhile the BJP, which supported the 19, April 2011 rally of tsunami affected farmers is now totally silent in this issue. Congress is already maintaining a distance from this agitation. But indirectly both the parties would like to make maximum out of this issue keeping 2014 elections in mind.
As far as most of the farmers are concerned, they have now decided to join the rally but not under any banner. “At any cost there will be a rally and dharna. Our demands are important and we won’t allow any political party to highjack this agitation for their political gain,” said a villager of Wimberlygunj.
