-The government released a notification to acquire about 2500-hector land belonging to hundreds of farmers in Sanand area on 3 December last year.

-The farmers are not ready to sell their land and want to continue to remain in agriculture. They have already submitted their objection letters to local government office in Sanand.

– The area that government wants to acquire is in proximity of Tata Motors Nano plant. The villagers say not a single person of their area has been employed by Tata till now. Almost all workers involved in construction of Nano plant are from outside Gujarat. The villagers also say their children either educated or uneducated never join job or business but choose farming as an occupation. This is common practice and therefore land is important to them.

-Kamshibhai Patel, who leads the agitation said, “There is vast non-used land available in Godhavi and Vasna area nearby. The government has already set up two GIDC estates in Sanand and Changodar. Moreover the government brought Tata Nano plant here. Now if they want to set up another industrial estate in this area, then it’s very unfair. We are fed up with the pollution that industrial units have already created on Sanand-Viramgam road. There are unoccupied plots in existing GIDC estates of Sanand and Changodar. In that case the government should concentrate on making existing GIDC estates well. Why another GIDC estate in this area?

-Panchabhai, village Sarpanch of Charal village says, the farmers in this area yield three crops in a year. This is very fertile and green land that gives the best quality of wheat and paddy among other crops. “We would lay our lives but not allow any surveyor, any one who wants to grab our land against our wishes,” said Panchabhai and other farmers.

-Local BJP MLA of Viramgam constituency is not ready to take even a phone call of agitating farmers. Even after several rallies and protest programmes, the government offices have not answered properly to villagers. State Revenue Minister Anandiben Patel heard the villagers, but then she only replied “I will see”. Local MP is Shri Lal Krishna Advani is hardly seen in Ahmedabad after he was elected last year. Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s office which was prompt in action to deliver NOC(No objection certificate) to Nano plant in three days and tax exemption to Amitabh Bachchan’s film in 24 hours, actually never answered the letters written by hundreds of farmers on their life and death issue. When farmers tried to present their memorandum to Chief Minister, they were prevented to do so. One of the farmers was successful in giving memorandum to Minister of state for Home Shri Amit Shah. This happened on January 7th when Modi was in Viramgam for ‘Garib Kalyan Mela’.

-The government of Gujarat wants to set up a GIDC near the Tata Motors plant here to bring medical instrument or plastic manufacturing units according to reports. The Government of Gujarat wants to acquire maximum land across the state before Vibrant Gujarat summit 2011, and make the land data online for investors.

-Villages involved in the protest against GIDC notification are mostly populated by Koli Patel community. This community is mostly involved in agriculture. Koli Patels never sell their land. In Rare circumstances if someone has to sell his land, then he would prefer to sell it to somebody in his own village.

-Nal Sarovar bird sanctuary is nearby. This land has rich variety of migratory as well as local rare birds including Sarus crane.

-All six villages involved in agitation against government’s notification are very much united. It is difficult to split their movement.

-During a visit to these villages, almost all school teachers who come here for job from Ahmedabad and other areas of Gujarat said, “The atmosphere of joy and festivity has vanished in these villages since the land acquisition notification was published. People always talk about what would happen to their land. They wake up till 12.00 in night and discuss the things. No body is in mood. Everyone in these villages is worried. No body from government has visited to listen to them or to heal them.”

-Farmers have not sought support of any political party. Their movement is non-political so far. However it is likely that Congress party will extend its support to this agitation soon. No body from BJP is ready to listen these farmers, because everyone knows that only one man can decide the things and that is Narendra Modi.

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