Call # 238 August 2001

More than a year ago, the Indian movement Ekta Parishad initiated a march through the State of Madhya Pradesh to call the attention of the public opinion and of the body politic to the problem of the right of access to land in India. Réseau-Solidarité supported this initiative (in its call 218: India, 3.000 Kms for the right for land). Between December 10 1999 and June 20 2000, those who took part in the march covered a distance of 3500 Kms, visited 1500 villages and met thousands of men and women. Their goal was to make known the situation of people without land in India, by going beyond the local struggles and by letting speak those directly concerned by the access to land (natives, evicted peasants...). One more time, Réseau-Solidarité echoes their claims by supporting the new march initiated by the Ekta Parishad movement, this time in the State of Bihar.

Today, 1 million of great and middle landowners live in the State of Bihar against 12 millions of small landowners. 75% of them live in marginality. They are victim of the concentration of ownership and of poverty; many of them are gradually evicted from their lands for the benefit of the mining and dam construction companies... Despite this state of fact, the farming reform is still not implemented. Instead of implementing the law and redistributing the land, the Indian Government encourages the setting up of multinational companies. Instead of redistributing the lands now available to those without land, some politicians allow the members of the upper classes to illegally take possession of the lands and to become the holders of it...

About the success of the march through the State of madhya pradesh ...

The march through the State of Madhya Pradesh enabled the poor to make themselves heard. particularly the natives, the first inhabitants of India who are today evicted from the forests, and who represent 25 % of the population and who are the first concerned by the problem of access to land.

As part of this march, many meetings took place, the testimonies of the villagers were recorded, some lands were solemnly occupied, petitions were sent to the country’s highest authorities. A positive outcome for the members of the Ekta Parishad movement: local journalists followed the event; the population quickly acknowledged the efficiency of this action and appropriated it; talks were opened with a part of the authorities and of the landowners...

Following the march an intervention cell, composed of 2 ministers, 2 secretary of State, a counselor of the Prime Minister and the coordinator of Ekta Parishad, was set up as well as decentralized intervention cells, set up in every state department. The aim of these cells is to ensure the implementation of the law and to redistribute the lands.

As a matter of fact, despite the adoption of recent laws, which bring solutions to the problem of the access to land in India, in the State of Madhya Pradesh, the problem is far from being solved; implementation of these laws is being curbed, or even stopped. Still, if the farming reform (Land Ceiling Act) and the land code (Madhya Pradesh Land Revenue Code) were implemented, many natives and peasants without land could eventually settle and cultivate the soil. For this reason, let’s hope that the Madhya Pradesh Prime Minister will keep the promise made at a meeting in September 2000 when he declared: " Natives and people without land in the State will benefit from the farming reform"

... Towards a new initiative in the State of bihar

Following the success of the march through Madhya Pradesh and the necessity to extend this action in time and space (particularly in the 4 other states where the Ekta Parishad movement is present), the principle of initiating such marches (Padyatra) in the other states was laid down.

The new march will start in Jamui (Bihar) on September 11, birthday date of Vinoba Bhave, spiritual heir of Gandhi, who created the movement for a farming reform in the 50’s and 60’s.

The march will end in Patna, on October 11, birthday date of Jay Prakash Narayan, another militant and great figure of the movement for a farming reform. The walkers will cover a distance of 500 Kms across the most dangerous regions of central Bihar, a state which remains today largely feudal. The violence of the the rich landowners’ private militias created to protect their interests, on the one hand, and on the other hand, the Maoist movement (the naxalites) which gathers the members of the oppressed classes, could put at risk the safety of the walkers.

The walkers will stop in the villages to collect the testimonies of the villagers and arrange meetings in the evening.

By mobilizing the population around the question of the right of access to land, the aim is to show to the government that social iniquity will no longer be tolerated.

The aim is to create a new balance of power so as to force the Government of Bihar to respect its legal obligations. This would allow many peasants without land and natives to eventually find an answer to their problems.

A European support to the walkers...

It’s done! It’s official...the European coordination of support to Ekta Parishad was born, a few months ago. Composed of Action Village India (a British NGO), of the Cesci foundation (a Swiss foundation), of the CRIDEV (a documentation center of the city of Rennes) and of Réseau-Solidarité, this coordination laid down for objective to support and relay in Europe the actions and campaigns carried out by Ekta Parishad.

The first action of support initiated by the coordination concerns the march through Bihar: the call started by Réseau-Solidarité will be relayed in England and in Switzerland; each organization will send one or more representative to take part in the march; 2 symbolic marches will take place in France (in Rennes) and in

Switzerland; a sale of kilometers will allow the 4 organizations to finance the march...

And let’s hope that it is only the beginning!

What can you do ?

Write to Mme. Shrimati Ravri DEVI, Chief Minister

Mme Shrimati Ravri DEVI

Honorable Chief Minister,

Government of Bihar

Patna

Bihar - INDIA

Sample lettre

Dear Chief Minister

Through Réseau-Solidarité (...) I have been informed of the 500 kilometer march organized by Ekta Parishad in Bihar.

I support this organization’s claims and urge you to:

* effectively implement the Land Ceiling Act

* protect the walkers from the violence of the naxalites and of the private militias.

Yours sincerely

(signature)

The march is long and difficult

Walk in solidarity

We invite you to distribute this call around you and to use the opportunity of possible animations on India to make the march known.

to follow the march, week after week:

http://www.ekta-parishad.org