RSS offshoot protest MP govt’s land pooling policy
The Bharatiya Kisan Sangh protests Madhya Pradesh's land pooling policy in Ujjain, claiming it harms farmers and criticizes the state government’s actions.
NEW DELHI: A little over a month after it urged the Madhya Pradesh government to reconsider the proposed land pooling policy in Ujjain, the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), an offshoot of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has taken to the streets against the decision, which it says adversely affects farmers in the state. The state government’s silence on the issue has drawn the battlelines between the Sangh and the BJP government in the state.
On September 16, the Farmers’ Union organised a protest in the state and BKS general secretary Mohini Mohan Mishra accused the state government led by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav of working against the interest of the farmers. In a statement he said, “The Prime Minister is fighting foreign powers for the farmers, and the Chief Minister is fighting against the farmers…The problem should be solved through dialogue, cooperation, and compromise.”
Earlier this year, the Madhya Pradesh government announced its proposal to pool agricultural land to build what it termed a “spiritual city” in Ujjain ahead of the 2028 Simhastha Kumbh — a Hindu pilgrimage held every 12 years in Ujjain —that could serve as a permanent destination for religious tourism. The BKS has opposed the move.
According to a BKS functionary, the details of the land pooling proposal are not clear, but the government plans to take land to build permanent structures.
According to a BKS functionary, on September 16, hundreds of farmers from across the district arrived in large numbers to protest outside the Collectorate. and raised slogans vigorously against the pooling , expressing their anger towards the government.
“The PM (Narendra Modi) has stood up to a powerful country like the US to protect the interest of the farmers, but in our own country, we have a government that is doing the opposite…the MP government is working against the interests of farmers and as Misra Ji said, the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh seems to be fighting against the farmers,” said a senior functionary of the BKS.
The BKS has accused the state government of “forcibly snatching land from farmers by misusing the government machinery and intimidating them.”
HT had earlier reported that in August that the BJP high command had deputed national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh to resolve the standoff between the BKS and the state government.
A senior BJP leader, requesting anonymity told HT then: “The issue has not only been criticised by the BKS, a collective of farmers, but has also left the party in the state divided. There is a section of leaders who feel that land acquisition in Ujjain will hurt the cause of the farmers as the proposal envisages pooling 2,000 hectares of fertile land.”
The leader said given the feedback from the Sangh and the state unit of the BJP, the party high command in Delhi is also learnt to have instructed the CM to look for an alternative to permanent structures. “The CM and senior state officials including the chief secretary met Union home minister Amit Shah last month, where a presentation on the preparations was made. It was suggested then that the state should continue with the traditional ways of organising the Kumbh without creating permanent infrastructure,” the functionary quoted above said.
In March, the party issued a show cause notice to its legislator Chintamani Malviya for criticising the government in the state assembly over the proposal.
In a letter to the CM on August 9, the BKS said, “If permanent constructions are made, but more visitors than anticipated turn up, then it will be a difficult task for the administration to manage the crowds. And if the number of visitors is much less than what was expected, then the farmers whose land will be procured will end up facing a loss…”
It suggested that provisions for the visitor should be made along the river banks as was done in the past.
“These are temporary in nature and the farmers too would be happy to spare their land for the purpose. Instead of procuring land from the farmers for good, the government should seek temporary ownership of land for a couple of months, as has been done in the past,” Mishra said, citing the example of the Maha Kumbh Mela that was organised in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj earlier this year.
