Farmers of DSIR area set out on a padyatra (footmarch) with the demand of “Correct revenue record, register our name in it”
The Secretary of Khedut Samaj Shri Sagar Rabari and the leaders of Bhal Bachao Samiti Shri Pradyumnasinh Chudasma, Shri Ramdevsinh Chudasma, Shri Kanubhai Sarvaiya and Shri Naranbhai Chauhan have issued a press statement that:
Having declared the 22 villages of Dholera area as Special Investment Region (SIR), the government is going ahead without taking the people into confidence or redressing their pending issues. The 22 villages included in the SIR fall in the Narmada command area. Till date the government has been trying to sell the people of Dholera several dreams like Kalpsar, Dholera port, SIR and now ‘smart city’. None of them have materialised, nor will they ever be. The government only wants to snatch our land from us under these pretexts. On the life and death issue of their land, around 100 farmers of the area will set out on a padyatra (footmarch) on 29th October at 10 am from village Bawaliyari and will reach the Collectorate in Ahmedabad on 3rd November 2015 where they will hand over their applications and demand speedy redressal.
How is the government cheating us?
§ The area was de-commanded from the Narmada commanded area
§ Re-commanded the same after farmers’ protest
§ Promised Narmada water publicly at the EPH in Dholera and on affidavit in the High Court of Gujarat
§ De-commanded the area once again
§ At the EPH of DSIR held in Dholera on 3/1/14 the people had asked about the rights of those farmers that had been given land under the Ceiling Act, Land Tenancy Act and santhani but which is yet to be made out on their name in revenue record.
§ The Collector had publicly assured them that land kacheris would be held in each village to address the pending revenue issues of the people. This is recorded in the minutes of the EPH and the same is also available on video.
§ 22 months since the Collector’s promise and not a single land kacheri has been held and the revenue issues are pending as is.
The poor farmers will become victims of the administration’s acts of omission and commission.
§ Those farmers / tillers that do not have the land on their name will lose 100% of their land and will not be entitled to a final plot of land after 50% land deduction under land pooling. The government will consider it to be ‘wasteland’ of its ownership and will sell it to SVP Company @ Rs. 600/- sq. m. and the farmers will not get anything.
§ The village pasturelands which do not call on the revenue record as such will, in similar fashion, be termed as ‘wasteland’ of government’s ownership and will sell it to SVP Company @ Rs. 600/- sq. m. leaving the maldharis without pastures.
§ Unregistered water bodies will also be sold to SVP Company @ Rs. 600/- sq. m. creating water scarcity in an already water-scarce region.
Before making any changes in the revenue record of the area, we demand that:
§ Hold land kacheris in every village and expedite the pending revenue issues and promulgate the entire revenue record of the whole region. This is because we have a strong suspicion that large-scale irregularities have been conducted in land numbering and changes in land ownership have been entered illegally and politicians have carried out a massive scam on this front.
§ Declare village grazing/pasture land in accordance with the cattle population in each village.
§ Notify all the water bodies of the area.
§ Give santhni land to the landless farmers from the village wastelands (as per government policy).
On the final day of the padyatra, i.e. 3/11/15, all the farmers of this area with pending revenue issues will bring their applications to the Collector office in Ahmedabad. They will be joined by their well-wishers and their relatives. They will insist on a time-bound programme from the Collector.
We are very certain that our 4-years old movement, despite being absolutely peaceful and non-violent, will be denied permission for this padyatra. This time too, as before, charges and cases will be filed against us. This time too, we are certain, that the government will discriminate against us on account of the fact that we are weak, less educated and less organised, while it indulges other organised rebellions by other economically stronger groups who definitely endanger the peace in the state. We fear that our human rights will be severely tested.
But NOW we will not tolerate government oppression. If the government stops us from exercising our democratic rights and freedoms, the farmers of the area will tour every village of the state to take the message of state injustice and state-led discrimination against classes. We will turn this injustice into an important political issue in the state.
Sagar Rabari Pradyumnasinh Chudasma
Khedut Samaj – Gujarat Bhal Bachao Samiti

Hastakshep