Centre's policies helping transfer of resources to haves, says Medha

 The policies of the Central government are facilitating the transfer of resources from the have-nots to the haves, said social activist Medha Patkar here on Tuesday.

Targeting the land acquisition ordinance and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to farmers on his radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’, she said ‘Mann Ki Baat’ is one-sided, as the prime minister is not bothered about the concerns of the farmers.

 Patkar was in the city to support the Badanavalu Satyagraha, which will be launched at Badanavalu near Nanjangud in the district on April 19. The Satyagraha, led by theatre person Prasanna, aims at raising awareness on sustainable developmental practices.

On the ordinance proposed to amend the Land Acquisition Act, she said, the consent clause was essential, despite complaints regarding the existing Act.

“Our demands regarding the ordinance are based on fundamental rights. No other country has such rules. The whole agenda of the ordinance is to enable corporates to take away lands and everything attached to it,” she said.

When a company is handed over land, all resources, including water and minerals in the region, are given to it. This has a devastating effect on the local population. There is no level playing field. The situation is such that the Adanis and Ambanis will soon be able to own several districts or states in the country, she said.

Successive governments had failed to consider agriculture as an industry and encouraged corporate industrialisation. Such industrialisation is taking a toll on both economy and democracy.

“Sharing of the revenue generated by harnessing natural resources is not taking place,” she said, citing the coal mines as an example.