Partying hard after hard-fought win

Geetanjali Gayatri

Tribune News Service

Sonepat, May 17

Just off the national highway, Badkhalsa has been in a constant state of celebration. After opposing land acquisition tooth and nail for nearly 12 years, oscillating between hope and desperation, their land-for-land demand has got the Haryana Government’s go-ahead.

Though this commitment is limited to the land being acquired for the Kundli-Ghaziabad-Palwal expressway, the villagers believe that this plan will be extended to their land acquired for Rajiv Gandhi Education City.

All smiles, Satpal admits that neither he nor other villagers ever believed that their struggle against the government would end in a victory of sorts.

“It still seems a dream. The protest was called off after Sonepat Deputy Commissioner KM Pandurang, came to the village and announced the decision in our panchayat. For my two acres on the highway, I will get alternative land within the village and that is a big load off my head. If a farmer loses his land, he loses everything and that is why we fought,” he says as other famers nod in unison.

Most of them remark that the good news is yet to sink in though the celebrations have already begun with a mahayagya on Sunday to call off the protest.

“It has been a long-drawn battle for us since 2005. When we started, all we knew was that we had to save our land from acquisition. Our strength lay in staying united though numerous attempts were made to divide us. We have come a long way together since the first meeting in November 2005 to start our dharna,” says Virender Badkhalsa, one of those spearheading the protest.

Claiming that they saw hope ever since Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar called them for a meeting to Delhi, the villagers maintained that he assured them of finding a way to address their demand though the weeks turning into months without any word came as a dampener.

“When the Deputy Commissioner announced the government decision to compensate us with land at an alternative location, we could not believe our ears. We were never opposed to the highway, but only committed to retaining our land. We are in a win-win situation since the expressway will usher in greater development while we will get to keep our land,” explains Hawa Singh, ruing the many rounds they had to make of government offices and courts.

Between bouts of happiness, they remember their ordeal and how close they were to giving up after nearly seven years as land prices were soaring and there was a temptation to accept the award money.

“Then, we re-committed ourselves to the fight after much deliberation. We did not want to go down as a village that fought and gave up. We wanted a fight to the finish,” Inder Singh contends.

Under the truce plan worked out between the government and villagers, land will be offered at alternative locations to those villagers who have land needed for the expressway while the option of accepting compensation for acquired land will still be open to them.

“The government held talks with villagers and offered land or enhanced compensation in lieu of disputed land. While 70 farmers were paid compensation, land at other locations would be provided to 212 farmers. The process has already been started and is likely to take about a week,” says Pandurang.

Hoping that the government will keeps its word and release the remaining land acquired for the Education City, the villagers say the government has assured them of meeting their demand in phases.

“The next in line is release of land acquired for the Education City. We are sure we will not have to resume our protest and the government will fulfil its commitment,” they say in unison as they prepare to honour Khattar once the farmers get possession of alternative land.