Manesar famers seek permission for mass euthanasia

Sumedha Sharma

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Gurugram, August 31

In the light of getting no positive response from the Haryana Government, hundreds of farmers from Manesar have demanded permission for mass euthanasia.

Farmers, for several months, have been protesting against the acquisition of 1,810 acres in three villages — Kasan, Kakrola and Sehrawan – for expansion of IMT Manesar.

Hundreds of farmers staged a massive dharna outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner and submitted a memorandum addressed to the President seeking permission for euthanasia.

Govt is snatching our livelihood

The government is killing us anyway. The land is our livelihood and the govt is snatching it for industrialists. In other villages, farmers are getting adequate compensation in exchange for their land, but we have been given peanuts. —Farmers

Farmers have also threatened to march to the President’s residence in Delhi and seek permission themselves.

“The government is killing us anyway. We prefer to kill ourselves than dying a slow death. The land is our livelihood. They are snatching it for industrialists. In other areas, farmers are getting good compensation in exchange for their land, but we have been given peanuts,” the protestors said.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Nishant Yadav accepted memorandum and assured the protesters that he would re-communicate their demands to the state.

Farmers reportedly met CM Manohar Lal Khattar in Chandigarh and said they had been denied help.

“My son was in the Army. I have a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren. We only have 1 acre land. If that is also snatched, where will we go? The compensation we are getting for our land won’t even get us a house in Gurugram,” said a woman farmer.

In 2011, the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure (HSIIDC) had initiated the process to acquire land, but the matter was challenged in court. In 2020, the Punjab and Haryana Governments vacated the stay and the authorities restarted the process of acquisition.

According to villagers, the government has acquired a large area for the development of IMT Manesar, but is now not paying adequate compensation for the land. The government is offering Rs 55 lakh per acre, while the market value of land is much higher.