In a bid to protect agricultural land from going into the hands of industries, nearly 4,000 farmers gathered at a rally in Jamnagar on Thursday.
The rally was addressed by rebel BJP MLA from Mahuva and farmers leader, Kanu Kalsaria, who had taken up a 600-km cycle rally from Mahuva to Jamnagar in order to sensitise farmers about protecting their land from the 'wrongful' acquisition by the industries in Gujarat.
Farmers from villages of coastal districts of Gujarat came in support of Kalsaria and joined his 12-day rally, which was started on September 11. The cycle rally had about 800 cyclists driving through different villages on a 600-kms stretch of Mahuva to Jamnagar. "The rally was aimed at making farmers aware about their rights and wrongful and unjust land acquisition by the industry. I observed during my cycle rally, that farmers in these villages suffer a lot. But their voice is suffocated and they are afraid of raising their voice against injustice being made by the industry," said Kalsaria, who became popular farmer leader after his successful movement against Nirma Limited's cement plant in Mahuva.
A large number of farmers from different villages of Jamnagar district came in support of Kalsaria. "The industry is using tactics to divide us and impose their views on poor farmers. Farmers are now awakening and are spreading the awareness against the acquisition of land for industrial purpose," said Manubhai, a farmer at Kalsaria's rally in Jamnagar.
The state government claims for having a land policy safeguarding farmers' interests. It claims that the land acquisition is done through prior consent of the farmers.