C Shivakumar
The special economic zones and industrial parks have become zones of
conflict in Tamil Nadu as the farming community is marginalized due to
state’s hunger for land for development projects pushing the community
to revolt against the system by organizing protests and turning
themselves into RTI activists.
Three villages in Tamil Nadu --- Thervoy Kandigai in Thiruvallur
district, Narnamangalam in Perambular, the constituency of former
telecom minister A Raja and Sivarakottai in Thirumangalam taluk of
Madurai district are in the eye of the storm as protests gathered
against the state during the DMK regime as land was acquired following
high-handed tactics.
The brazenness of the state could be highlighted by the fact that the
land documents of the villagers in Sivarakottai were burnt allegedly
by the village administrative officer when the farmers sought court
intervention over the acquisition of 1,478 acres of farm land by the
State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (Sipcot) after
government lied in the court over the ownership of the land.
“The collector lied in the court that only 96 farmers own the land
where as the tract of 1,478 acres is owned by 2,000 families. And what
is more the district collector has lied in his deposition before the
court that the land is barren,” says Ramalingam, a farmer who has
turned RTI activist. Surprisingly, not even 500 metres away from the
village near the banks of Goundanathi, a college by the DMK strongman
and Union Chemicals and Fertilizer minister M K Azhagiri is slowly
emerging.
Villagers claim the price of the land appreciated when proposal to
acquire the land for special economic zone was mooted by the state
government. While the state paid the price of Rs 825 per cent in
Sivarakottai, Rs 325 in Tharshakalampatti and Rs 168 in
Samimallampatti to the farmers. Interestingly, the wetland was brought
by Gandhi Azhagiri, the wife of the union minister for Rs 39,000 a
cent in 2008. Currently, the market rate of one cent of land in the
area is Rs one lakh.
Ramalingam said the government has bent every rule in the book to
acquire the land forcing the ryots to go on a RTI spree to get the
data besides launching about 16 agitations to protect their land. “The
simmering discontent among the ryots was one of the reasons for the
local DMK candidate’s defeat in Madurai belt,” he says.
The discontent is not only visible on Sivarakottai but also in
Perambalur and Thervoy. “Over the last five years the gap between
urban and rural, the haves and have-nots has expanded due to the
policies of DMK government, specially on special economic zones and
industrial parks,” says Prof C Lakshmanan of Madras Institute of
Development Studies.
“They not only acquired the agriculture land but also the common
resources that provide subsistence to the marginalized people that is
why the gap has intensified resulting in the birth of peasant
movements against the state,” says the professor, who himself prepared
a EIA report for a French NGO CCFD on Thervoy Kandigai village where
villagers have protested against setting up a tyre company and a
breweries distillery.
Thervoy
Surprisingly, Thervoy agitation, which started off as a small protest
by the dalit ryots to protest against the setting up of SIPCOT
industrial park in 1,127 acres of land, has slowly gained ground with
the National Alliance of People’s Movement convenor Medha Patkar
backing the struggle. NAPM Youth coordinator Arul Doss says the
movement has intensified with the villagers and social activists using
the Facebook in ‘Save Thervoy’ campaign. “In the last three years, the
villagers have boycotted parliamentary elections, were jailed, and
what is more 179 people have false cases booked against them and many
have been released on bail recently,” alleged Arul.
Even, National Human Rights Commission has issued directive to the senior
superintendent of police to take action over a complaint of alleged
foisting of false cases against dalit activists in Thervoy.
Interestingly, four government employees were issued suspension notice
for backing the Thervoy, says R Gokulakannan, who was a conductor in
the Madras Transport Corporation and was suspended for backing the
struggle.
“If the government takes away our land forcibly, the village will
burn. It will be another Singur here,” says a villager angrily as one
of the water resources, Thondaiman lake of the Thervoy Kandigai
village, is slowly vanishing with mud strewn by a pile of trucks.
Three water bodies have slowly vanished leaving the 25 villages in the
adjoining areas along the Thervoy high and dry.
Villagers say the government has also violated the Madras High court
orders by not rehabilitating 15 people and drilling borewells in the
area, says Arul, adding that trees have been burnt in the surrounding
areas. Not only that the villagers are booked if they walk on the site
of the company under The Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of
Damage & Loss) Act. This has sparked a protest by the villagers
resulting in the lathicharge by the police.
Even the panchayats has passed resolutions against the industrial park
but the government has been deaf to it. Surprisingly, the public
hearing for the project was held 18 km away when it should have been
held at the site. And no villager backed it but still the clearance
was give. How could they violate all the norms,” reasons Arul.
Interestingly, even the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has not
given the clearance, he alleged, adding that NAPM has also submitted
petitions to Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh. “It will become
another Singur if the government doesn’t act on the petition of the
villagers,” says Arul.
Arul also questions the Environmental Impact Assessment prepared by
State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (Sipcot) for the
industrial park which will house the French Tyre company Michelin,
re-christened as Michelin India Tamil Nadu Tyres private Limited, a
breweries company which is allegedly owned by Sharad Kumar, the chief
executive officer of Kalaignar TV, who is arrested along with
Kanimozhi in the 2G spectrum case and few other firms and glass
company.
Interestingly, the Tropical Breweries was never mentioned when the
initial EIA was submitted. District officials say the clearance for
the breweries may not materialize since the regime hasd changed.
The natural resources, minerals, land and water needed for
industrialisation, often lie beneath or within areas traditionally and
historically occupied by agrarian and indigenous communities. India's
"growth formula", which relies on accessing these resources, is having
to contend with fierce opposition by local communities
Most of the farmers are marginal farmers holding small extents of
land, cultivating paddy, ragi, groundnut and chillies. “The three
eris that supply water for agriculture will dry up within months of
removal of forest cover and the residents of the village will lose
their livelihood overnight,” says another activist.
Perambalur
Meanwhile, the state machinery was used to procure the land in
Naranamangalam Village in Perambalur district after villagers
allegedly spurned the offer of former Union telecom minister A Raja to
give their land for a MRF project.
Villagers told Express after they refused the district administration
to acquire the land in 2007, they were summoned by then Union Telecom
Minister A Raja immediately who urged them to sell their land to MRF
and said the new plant will provide jobs for them besides they could
get a good price from the company.
But villagers refused to heed to his demand and said the land is all
they have got to support their livelihood. Following this Raja
allegedly threatened them that he will get the land with the help of
the state machinery and they will be paid only the sum that the
government will decide.
And then the ordeal for villagers began as Green House Promoters,
owned by Raja’s aide and family members, entered into the scene.
Police vehicles began plying into the villages as the villagers were
picked up and taken to the Superintendent of Police office or the
district collector’s office and were asked to transfer the title deed
to Green House Promoters. A few of them were even arrested by using
the SC/ST act and then were released abruptly for lack of evidence
once the title deed was transferred to Green House Promoters. What is
more, even the women were intimidated by the authorities to sign
documents following the non-availability of their men-folk in the
country.
“I had immense trust in Union Telecom Minister A Raja as being a dalit
he will understand our problems. When I was forced to sell my land by
Green House Promoters. I thought I would get a good deal as the
minister is from our community. Unfortunately, he also exploited us,”
said Maniraj, who got Rs one lakh for his one acre of land.
“Once I sold my land for Rs one lakh, the brokers approached me in my
home and demanded Rs 25,000 to be paid back as they have spent the
amount on transferring the records from my grandmother’s name to my
mother’s name,” said Maniraj.
Maniraj is among the rest of the dalits who don’t have any source of
income and are feeding on the money which they got as compensation
from the land. Some are migrating to far off cities like Trichy for a
job in the unorganized sector, some are still mulling over their bleak
future.
