Opposing Modi’s policies, RSS offshoot submits memos to DCs

CHANDIGARH: Activists of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), an off-shoot of the RSS, today submitted memoranda to deputy commissioners of at least 300 districts across the country against Narendra Modi government’s certain policies that were “not in larger public interest”.

Sarbjit Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 20

Activists of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), an off-shoot of the RSS, today submitted memoranda to deputy commissioners of at least 300 districts across the country against Narendra Modi government’s certain policies that were “not in larger public interest”.

Deepak Sharma, national head of the media and publicity of the SJM, told The Tribune over the phone that the memoranda were submitted to the PM through respective deputy commissioners of almost all districts of Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and certain other states.

The main sticking points include amendments to the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, hike in the FDI in insurance and permission given to hold trials for genetically modified (GM) crops in the country.

Sharma said memoranda could not be given in certain states, including Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, because of holiday in view of Pursuram Jayanti today. Prof Kashmiri Lal, all-India organising secretary, said the memoranda in these states would be submitted tomorrow.

The SJM said disparity had widened among people and employment opportunities had shrunk due to “pro-rich” and “pro-corporate” policies over the past 25 years. People elected the NDA government since they were fed up with the “anti-people” policies of the previous UPA regime.

“Under your leadership, people want pro-poor and pro-farmer and pro-small trader policies. But the SJM is constrained to state that the amendments made to the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 besides FDI in insurance, pension and e-commerce are not in the larger public interest and are simply an extension of earlier policies pursued by UPA government,” says the memorandum.

“The amendments were made in haste and the new land ordinance issued on April 3 contained several ‘detestable and unacceptable sections’,” it further states.

The ordinance has dropped the consent clause and provision regarding non-acquiring the multi-crop land was also dropped. The clauses regarding the return of the unutilised land had also been diluted without justification.

The SJM opposed the trial of GM crops until its impact on land, people and biodiversity was “fully comprehended”. The Technical Expert Committee (TEC), constituted by the Supreme Court and comprising experts and scientists, had also underlined the hazardous consequences of GM food crops and their open field trial.

The TEC has recommended a moratorium on such trials till an effective regulatory mechanism is put in place. The BJP in its manifesto had also promised not to allow open field trials till long-term scientific evaluation was done.