Anna tells politicians to keep off his march against land Bill

Social activist Anna Hazare on Monday announced “Sangharsha Yatra”, a march from Sevagram in Wardha to Delhi to galvanise public opinion against the Centre’s land acquisition bill. The monthlong march will start on March 30.

The announcement came at the end of daylong deliberations at Sevagram ashram among 50-odd activists from different organisations.

Activist Medha Patkar, who attended the meeting said: “The format and schedule of the programme will be finalised only after consulting various organisations that had participated in the February 24 meeting at Delhi where Anna was present.” She added: “Nobody is opposed to the idea of the yatra, but we need to consult people from various movements before finalising it”.

Hazare told mediapersons that at the end of the ‘yatra’, the agitators would sing bhajans in front of houses of MPs in Delhi and court arrest.

He also said he will visit Jaranwala in Punjab, birthplace of Bhagat Singh, on March 23 to pay homage and address a public meeting. This he said, was to symbolically tell the government that it was more cruel than the British in pushing the anti-farmer land Bill. “Nothing of this kind (Bill) ever happened in the 68 years of independence,” he said. He demanded that the government should return unused acquired land to farmers and get land on lease from them, if required.

Hazare said he has asked political leaders to stay away from the march. He said AAP leader Yogendra Yadav, who was briefly present at Monday’s meeting, wanted to join the march, but was told to keep away. “If we allow them to join us, it won’t remain a farmers’ agitation. Political parties will further their agendas,” he said. WITH ENS PUNE

Source:: Indian Express