Guwahati: The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity on Thursday staged a protest rally in Guwahati demanding scrapping of an office memorandum of the government which seeks to transfer agricultural land lying unused for ten years to non-agricultural purpose.
Concluding a ten-day strike, the KMSS activists led by peasant leader Akhil Gogoi marched to the Deputy Commissioner’s office and staged a sit-in demonstration, blocking traffic for over two hours.
The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) had expressed doubts about the office memorandum issued by the Assam Government’s Revenue and Disaster Management Department on June 17 this year.
The office memorandum, according to the KMSS, smacks of the state government’s intention to hand over agricultural lands to capitalists for non-agricultural purposes.
KMSS president Akhil Gogoi said the office memorandum relaxed the procedure for the change of categories of agricultural lands so as to use them for non-agricultural purposes like the setting up of industries and private establishments for business purposes.
The worst sufferers of this relaxation would be the poor farmers, especially those in the flood-affected areas, the KMSS said.
Meanwhile, one KMSS activist even tried to inflict injuries on himself by using a sharp weapon during the protest. He was immediately rushed to a hospital.
The KMSS suspended the protest after the government invited them for a discussion on the issue. The dialogue will be held on August 3, official sources said. (UNI)
