The Current State of the Land Crisis in India and Hope of Land Reform

 Landgrabbing throughout India has increased at rapid rate during the last few years, as industrialization and ‘development’ have increased. As a result, many small and marginalized rural farmers have lost their land to development schemes and tribal peoples, who have lived for years on forest land, have faced violence from land grabbing mafias working for the interests of the powerful.

In 2007, the Janadesh March organized by the people’s movement Ekta Parishad put pressure on the national government to take up the issue of land reform. As a result of this march of 25,000 people, the Government set up the National Land Reform Council. This Council chaired by the Prime Minister published a report of recommendations for land reform in 2009 but since then, no action further action has been taken.

Recently, after strong action from civil society organizations, the government has agreed to reconvene the Land Reform Council. It is not clear whether genuine land reform will emerge from this Council, however, since the pressures of exploit

ation and development have increased considerably. For this reason and to promote true land reform, Ekta Parishad has committed to a new action.

Jan Satyagraha 2012 (People’s March for Truth) will begin in October and mobilize 100,000 people to march from Gwalior to Delhi. To prepare for this march, Rajagopal PV is about to begin the Samvad Yatra, a twelve month march across India through 350 districts. This march will connect with many local struggles for land and unite them in a nation-wide effort.

The Samvad Yatra will begin on October 2, at the southernmost tip of India, Kanyakumari.