Headlines
Hazare's month-long march against land bill starts March 25
Wardha (Maharashtra), March 9
Social activist
Anna Hazare announced Monday a month-long, 2,100-km long "padayatra"
from Wardha to Delhi from March 25 against the controversial land
acquisition bill.
The 77-year-old made the announcement after
meeting farmers' representatives as well as close associates including
Aam Aadmi Party's Yogendra Yadav and activists Medha Patkar and Rajendra
Singh.
The march will start on March 25 and end on April 27 at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, a favourite venue for political protests.
Before
launching the protest, Hazare will travel to revolutionary leader
Bhagat Singh's village in Punjab and pay homage on his martyrdom
anniversary on March 23.
Speaking to the media, Hazare made it
clear that "violence will not be tolerated at any cost, otherwise the
march will be suspended."
He also said no political leader would be permitted to share the stage at Ramlila ground.
He
lashed out at the central government over its "anti-farmer" provisions
in the bill and said it was unacceptable to the farming community.
"There
is nothing in the bill which can benefit the farmers. The government is
not interested in considering the views of the people and farmers.
"(Prime
Minister) Narendra Modi only talks, but does nothing. We are not
interested in amendments, we want it scrapped," Hazare said.
The
protest march will cover Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat,
Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.It is aimed at building public
opinion against the "anti-farmer" provisions in the Land Acquisition
Bill.
Several farmers groups from Maharashtra and other parts of
India have thrown their weight behind the march and plan to send
volunteers to join it.