tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338007918823710198.post5433543117866659951..comments2023-07-26T16:09:24.741+05:30Comments on Lokavidya Jan Andolan (LJA)<br>लोकविद्या जन आन्दोलन: LJA and Farmers' Struggle in MPVidya Ashramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02683679935172546020noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338007918823710198.post-8970507505411128382012-05-26T13:28:45.148+05:302012-05-26T13:28:45.148+05:30"Lands have been taken away at a compensation..."Lands have been taken away at a compensation rate of Rs. 65,000/- for one acre." "Taken Away" (!) what does it mean? Does it mean that the lands were forcibly grabbed from the farmers and the money was thrown at their faces !<br /><br />If so, the courts can be directly approached and surely stay on the proceedings can be obtained.May be that the Supreme Court can be directly approached for suitable directions.<br /><br />Some two weeks ago Supreme Court gave a verdict stating that the lands should be procured at the market price & not at the Government fixed rates.<br /><br />I mean I would like to think that we still do not have in place legalized goonda raj!<br /><br />Sure, there must have been some negotiations between the buyers & the farmers representatives/ Gram panchayat/ Gram Sabha etc; and there would have been a kind of willingness on the part of the farmers to do away with their lands. <br /><br />A dishonest deal is possible, but then the process of negotiations should not have been handed over to such people that are known to be dishonest.<br /><br />For me bigger question is: whether an agricultural land can be treated as a disposable commodity (?), irrespective of the type of agriculture being practised. If yes, then how to estimate its value? What is the appropriateness of 'market rate' vis-a-vis an agricultural land?<br /><br />For example, one can price a mango plucked from a mango tree, but how does one price the tree by itself? How does one price 'Coal'? One can add costs of the machines / labour etc used, but how does one price coal!! In short, how does one price a natural resource; for maximizing profitability (!) because one has the power to capture all natural resources!!<br /><br />For all the 'engineering & technological marvels' created by MAN, agriculture remains yet the most productive & most efficient proposition in terms of energy consumption. All the 'marvels' are essentially highly inefficient in terms of consumption of energy. Therefore how can an agricultural land be dispensed with for erecting an 'engineering & technological marvel'?<br /><br />In my opinion LJA need to question the very edifice of modern economies through these struggles & definitely raise the debate on inapplicability of 'market rate' concept to agricultural lands and/ or any other natural resource.<br /><br />For me it is an ideological question: to sell or not to sell the agricultural land. <br /><br />If 'sell': then one becomes a part of market dynamics where the mightier will consume the weaker; if 'NO': then real dynamics for change starts envisaging struggles and sacrifices for the period of time unknown.Lalit K Kaulnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338007918823710198.post-26226636411833218152012-05-26T12:47:13.725+05:302012-05-26T12:47:13.725+05:30vvvvvvvvAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com