By TCN News,
Patna: Seventy-five-year-old Baburao Chandawar, a close associate of Loknayak Jayprakash Narayan, is on an indefinite hunger strike here for more than one lakh Bhoodan kisans – the farmers given land by the government following the Bhoodan movement, but could not get possession of the land yet.
For last five years Baburao Chandawar in association with Bihar Sarvodaya Mandal has devoted himself in the campaign to hand over lands to the real owners. Nothing substantial could be done as yet in this connection.
Some conventions of Bhoodan kisans held in the districts of Supaul, Saharsa and Madhepura just after the campaign launched by Bihar Sarvodaya Mandal. In one of the earlier conventions some ministers showed their presence as representatives of the Bihar Govt. They heard the plight of land-disowned farmers but that proved good for nothing. The administration turned its deaf ear and nothing could be done in favor of deprived Bhoodan kisans.
In this context a writ petition was filed in the High Court with the initiative of Bihar Sarvodaya Mandal. The court ordered for quick disposal of cases. The Govt. showed its utter indifference.
An interim report was submitted to the govt. of Bihar on 04th June 2007 by the Land Reform Commission in the Chairmanship of D. Bandopadhyaya regarding land of Bhoodan and disowning lands of Bhoodan kisans. But the govt. has not taken any initiative on the report.
The land acquired by the efforts of Acharya Vinoba Bhave and his associates and distributed in the names of landless tillers and laborers, but the major portion of which is not in the possession of their name-bearers. Thousands of such cases are still pending. Baburao strongly feels that Bhoodan Yagna Committee (Board) and the Govt. administration are not taking proper action. More than one lakh Bhoodan kisans are disowned from the possession of their lands.
Baburao Chandawar, who is working for the cause for more than five years, declared on 1st May 2010 to go on indefinite hunger strike from June 26, 2010 (the day emergency declared in 1974) in Patna, the state capital of Bihar, if any suitable initiative could not be taken by the Govt. with no response from the government Chandawar sat on indefinite hunger strike in the meeting hall of Gandhi Smarak Nidhi in Patna on 26th June and has continued till date.