PERNEM: Under the banner of Dhargal Mopa Shetkari Sangharsh Samiti, farmers protested against the government move of going ahead with demarcation of land for the proposed link road to Mopa Airport.
Hundreds of farmers from Sukekolkan, Dadachiwadi, Tulaskarwadi, Nagzar and other parts of the villages gathered at Tulaskarwadi and protested while shouting slogans against the BJP government and local MLA.
Demanding that the government cancel the link road to Mopa airport, farmers said, “This link road is planned for the aero city for which the government has given around 16 lakh sqmt land. This link is not needed since the existing road is enough but the government wants to have this link road to benefit the businessmen, hoteliers and others. This is our cultivable agriculture plant which is full of fruit bearing plantations and a source of income. We are not going to give more land for any project.”
Claiming that this link road will severely cause impact of their natural water sources and forests, they added, ”There is a natural spring that flows down to the village from the hill and this spring provides us water throughout the year even during summer and water is used for daily consumption. This link road is proposed through the village which is going to dry the spring,” villagers claimed.
“We went there to question them and not to ask something that is owned by the government. Police have no right to keep the females under custody. There were senior citizens who were diabetic and had high blood pressure. We don’t want this airport and the link road since we are dependent totally on the forest for the source of livelihood. We don’t want compensation but only want our land back,” claimed Kalindi Babi Salgaonkar and other farmers.
Farmers alleged that “India is a democratic country, however, the BJP government is turning it into a dictatorship on the people by grabbing their land and forcing the projects on the people by pressuring and creating fear by detaining and arresting them.”
“We were fighting for our rights and to save our lands. We were not asking anything from the government but only wanted our land back. From the last four generations we are into agriculture and made our living on the same”, Taramati Harichan Salgaonkar a 75 years old lady said.
If the government did not want the farmers to have their lands, then why is it telling people to make Krushi cards and distribute saplings. If there is no land left with the farmers then where the government expects the farmers to plant the saplings,” farmers pointed out.
The affected farmers also appealed to people from the Pernem taluka to extend their support for their agitation. Villagers also condemned the absence of Sarpanch of Nagzar-Warkhand during the protest.
