UP farmers do a Singur on Didi

Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee is at the receiving end of a “Singur-like” agitation emerging in the eastern Uttar Pradesh district of Chandouli, where farmers groups are resisting Railways’ plans to acquire land for a 1850-kilometer long Eastern Freight Corridor from Ludhiana in Punjab to Dankuni in Bengal.

Having championed the cause of Singur farmers in West Bengal’s Hoogly district, Banerjee finds herself embarrassingly positioned at the other side of the fence at Chandouli — where arch rivals including the BJP, CPI (M) and Samajwadi Party have come together to oppose the acquisition plans.

For the Singur farmers, Banerjee was the galvanising ‘Didi,’ who fought for their rights. For septuagenarian Uma Devi, owner of six bighas fertile land in village Parewa in Chandouli, Banerjee is a ‘nemesis,’ hell-bent at snatching what is the only source of livelihood for her.

“The government decision to acquire our land is giving us sleepless nights,” said Uma, one among the 55 farmers of the village who have been served notices to acquire their land.

“Chandouli farmers will never allow this to happen”, said Kameshwar Mishra of the Krishi Bhumi Bachao Sangharsh Samiti.

“We can’t believe that the Mamata, who led farmers in Singur, is now hell bent on snatching our land for the freight corridor. This has exposed her double standards,” said Ashok Singh, a Parewa farmer who stands to lose eight out of 10 acres.