Agra incident-free, farmers continue stir

AGRA - Talks between agitating farmers and the Uttar Pradesh government were held amid tight security in Agra district Wednesday, a day after peasants turned violent in their demand for higher compensation for land acquired for the Yamuna Expressway.

In Chhalera village of the district, farmers supported by the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) rejected Tuesday’s agreement between a section of agitators and the government in Aligarh district and held a sit-in in front of the police post.

RLD legislator Anil Chaudhary, representing Sadabad constituency in Mathura district bordering Agra, threatened that if the farmers’ demand for enhanced compensation was not accepted, they would Thursday disrupt rail traffic on the Tundla-Ghaziabad-Delhi route.

The route links Delhi and Agra to cities like Kanpur and Lucknow.

On Tuesday, two government officials and half-a-dozen policemen were injured in clashes with agitating farmers in Agra’s Etmadpur sub-division, some 20 km from Taj city. A dozen vehicles were also smashed by farmers.

A day after the clashes, officials Wednesday held talks with farmer leaders representing a struggle committee at Chalesar, close to Kuberpur in Etmadpur, to end the violence over their demand for higher compensation for their lands acquired for the expressway and townships being built by Jaypee group.

Etmadpur resembled a cantonment with security forces from nearby towns deployed in large numbers to prevent violence.

The 165-km Noida-Agra Yamuna Expressway has also evoked criticism from local environmental groups. “They should stick to the expressway. Why are they acquiring agricultural lands for new urban clusters,” asked green activist Ravi Singh.

“This would be disastrous for the ecology along the Yamuna river,” he warned.

D.K. Joshi, environmentalist and a petitioner in the Supreme Court which is already hearing the matter, said he had to rely on the transparency law to get information on the project.

Environment protection group Friends of Vrindavan (FOV) has also voiced concern over green issues related to the project. Friends of Vrindavan convener Jagdish Poddar said: “In any developmental project the ecological balance should not be disturbed.”

The expressway, which is expected to reduce the driving time between New Delhi and Agra to just about 90 minutes, will pass through Gautam Buddha Nagar, Aligarh, Mahamaya Nagar (Hathras) and Mathura, and involves acquisition of land in 115 villages.

The farmers’ agitation in Tappal town in Aligarh district showed signs of subsiding Tuesday after the government enhanced the compensation amount for the land acquired for the project.

But the protest returned to full strength Wednesday, with farmers refusing to accept the enhanced compensation offered in lieu of their land acquired for the expressway.

The three-week old agitation, which was expected to be withdrawn in the wake of the revised government offer made by Chief Minister Mayawati’s special envoy and state cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh, was intensified with the farmers sinking their differences and resolving to fight unitedly.

The compensation amount was increased from Rs.449 per square metre to Rs.570 per square metre. The government also released from jail farmers’ leader Rambabu Katelia, as demanded by the protesters.

However, the farmers have stuck to their demand for higher compensation amount.

On Tuesday, farmers led by Chaudhary in Chhalera village of Agra district tried to repossess their lands acquired by the expressway developer.

They tried to till the land and were confronted by police, who used force to disperse them.

During the clashes, some farmers attempted to snatch rifles from policemen on duty. A dozen farmers and government employees, including a magistrate and four constables, were injured in the pitched battle.

Sources said in a bid to restore peace, the government has rushed three ministers -Chaudhary Laxmi Narayan, Thakur Jaivir Singh and Narayan Singh Suman - to Agra.

The government wants to cool down the agitating farmers agitation using all possible means. And for that, two-tier talks, at Agra and Lucknow, were being conducted, they said.