Jharkhand's opposition calls statewide bandh against land bill on May 4

RANCHI: Opposition parties led by Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) chief Babulal Marandi have called a state-wide bandh against Center's Land Acquisition Bill on May 4. Marandi announced the bandh on Monday after he emerged from day-long consultations with leaders of CPI, RJD, SP and JD (U). "All participants have condemned the attempts of the Center to snatch farmers' land.We have together decided that at no cost we will allow anyone to take away anyone's land," Marandi said.
JVM-P has appealed to all political parties to come out in support of farmers and thwart BJP government's attempts to work at the behest of the corporates. "In case the Land Acquisition Bill is passed in parliament over one crore people from Jharkhand would be evicted. They would become landless, homeless," Marandi said.
The political parties have announced that they will bring the state to a standstill on May 4 as they will not allow even a single vehicle to ply on the road, stop all trains, and public transport system. RJD state spokesperson Manoj Kumar said nothing apart from emergency services would be allowed during the bandh.
Domicile and recruitment policy were also taken up for discussion in the meeting, JVM-P leader Santosh Kumar said. "It was decided that the two crucial demands would also be issues behind the bandh," Kumar said. In the fortnight before the bandh JVM-P would try to convince more political parties to support the bandh to make it a strong state wide agitation. It would be the first bandh call against the tenacious Land Acquisition Bill in Jharkhand.
JVM-P general secretary Pradeep Yadav said: "The move of the BJP government to snatch farmers' land has fuelled anger in a large number of farmers. We hope that all opposition parties would support the bandh."
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress however did not attend Monday's meeting despite getting invitations and requests from JVM-P. "Every party has its own style and system. We are opposing Land Acquisition Bill in our own way," JMM spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya said. JVM-P had invited former chief minister Hemant Soren who did not go to the meeting, neither did any of his representatives. Most of the senior Congress leaders were in Delhi so they also missed it.
Meanwhile chief minister Raghubar Das called upon JMM chief Shibu Soren at his residence on Monday, JMM termed it a courtesy visit.