Farmers of Gorakhpur village hold a protest in Fatehabad against acquisition of their agricultural land by the Haryana government for a nuclear power plant in the area, August 2010. (The Tribune on-line)

 

January 16, 2012

Bhupinder Singh Hooda,
Chief Minister, Haryana
Chandigarh

Dear Mr. Chief Minister,

It was with gravest concern and misgivings that we heard of Section 9 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, being issued in Fatehabad, Haryana, to forcibly acquire land for the proposed Gorakhpur Nuclear Power Plant Project. This action by the Harayana State Govt. is completely unacceptable on the following two counts:

Farmers of Gorakhpur and nearby villages have been sitting in continuous opposition to the proposed nuclear power plant from August 2010. They are fighting for their right to life, livelihood and to safeguarding their fertile and irrigated, three-crop land, all of which will be severely threatened if the project were passed. The fact that a community is in such a long drawn and strong opposition to this project, is of crucial concern and cannot be ignored arbitrarily or repressed in democracy.

Further, a new Land Acquisition Bill draft is being considered currently by the standing committee in the Parliament. It would thus be presumptuous and premature of the Haryana State Govt. to push through forceful land acquisition, using the old act, before the parliament has an opportunity to pass the new Act.

We request you to immediately withdraw the land acquisition notice for the project, and as the head of your State, initiate dialogue with the protestors so that you may address their concerns without resorting to a draconian use of an ancient and unreasonable act.

(cc to Shri Manmohan Singh Prime Minister of India)

Sincerely,
Dr. Arati Chokshi General Secretary PUCL Karnataka

Major General (RTD) S.G. Vombatkere NAPM, Karnataka

Puskar Raj Gen. Sec. PUCL

Admiral, L. Ramdas (Former Chief of Navy Staff) CNDP

Lalita Ramdas CNDP

Kamayani Bali Mahabal Human Rights Activist Mumbai

Sukla Sen Ekta Mumbai

Santan V Chakarabarty Disha, Calcutta

P.K. Sundaram Research Scholar JNU

Asit Das POSCO Pratirodh Solidarity, Delhi

Vijay Pratap Socialist Front

Tanushree Gangopadhyay Ahmedabad

Ajit Jha Samajwadi Jan Parishad

Y.B. Ramkrishna