People’s opposition to nuclear projects is growing across the country. Thousands of peasants in Gorakhpur village and surrounding areas of Fatehabad district of Haryana are also militantly opposing a nuclear electricity project being planned in this village. The government shamelessly declared that the land in the area is infertile.
People’s opposition to nuclear projects is growing across the country. Thousands of peasants in Gorakhpur village and surrounding areas of Fatehabad district of Haryana are also militantly opposing a nuclear electricity project being planned in this village. The government shamelessly declared that the land in the area is infertile. Angered by this, peasants arecarrying on a satyagrahamovement since more than last 400 days. Three peasants have died in the satyagraha.
Correspondents of Mazdoor Ekta Lehar spoke to Shri Hansraj, the peasant leader. Hansraj ji told them that the opposition to the nuclear project had intensified after the Fukushima disaster. Even the uneducated peasants, women and children are now aware of the dangers posed by nuclear radiation. The people of Gorakhpur village and 36 village panchayats have passed a resolution against this project and also submitted its copy to the government. The peasants have exposed the lie of the government and clarified that the land in the area is very fertile and about 2000-3000 labourers come to work on the land every year. The government is saying that many people will find work in the project. The peasants have asked a pertinent question which has left the government speechless: “One acre of our fertile land feeds hundreds of people. How many lakh people will be given work by the project?”
The representatives of the protesting peasants have met the Chief Minister, MPs, etc. several times and submitted their petitions. They have met with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi as well. Despite this, all kinds of pressure have been brought to bear on the peasants. Even the local MP has been acting like a broker for the project and enticing the people with large compensation money. The peasants have given him a fitting reply – “if your mother is alive, how much would you sell her for? We will not sell our mother earth!
The peasants of the area near Gorakhpur had worked very hard to dig the two canals – Amarsingh and Sidhmukh – from which water irrigates the fields in Rajasthan, 200 km away. Now, the peasants of Nohar and Bhadra in Rajasthan have also joined in the protests with the Gorakhpur peasants. Many peasants from neighbouring Punjab have also joined them. All of them have vowed to put up a militant opposition when the Revenue officials will come to announce the acquisition of land on January 12, 2012.
Mazdoor Ekta Lehar wholeheartedly supports the just struggle of the Gorakhpur peasants.