‘Modi law to annex 1/3rd of land’

Thiruvananthapuram: CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Saturday lashed out at the Narendra Modi government saying that its land acquisition policy would spell doom for the nation.

At a meet the press programme organised by Kesari Memorial Trust here, Mr Yechury said according to Government's own admission more than 50 per cent of the land acquired for SEZ was still lying unutilised. No production has been happening.

He said under the new law one km each on either sides of national high ways, state highways and railway lines would be acquired. Have you ever calculated how much it is ? “It is 32.1 per cent of all cultivated land in India. One third of entire cultivable land of the country can be taken over by this law,” he added.

Mr Yechury said besides the human problem of suicides, the new law would wreak havoc and affect food self sufficiency progammes. “It is not a battle of wits between opposition and government. This is a very serious issue concerning the future of the country. There is pressure building up on each party from the peasantry and every one will have to come together,” he added.

CPM general secretary said the Modi magic was over. “I never suffered from any illusion of that magic. Those were like hot air balloons. All are bursting one by one. Acche din, fast economy growth, 56 inch chest, 15 lakh bank deposit all gone. I think this is one government I have seen in my experience which has lost its entire USP in less than one year. A government whose honeymoon period ends even before the year ends," he said.

“The bubble burst primarily because they gave fanciful illusions and raised aspirations of the youth of the country. Youth of the country is restless and they want demands to be met," he said.

When asked about former Prime Minister late Moararji Desai’s comment on him that “Though he is a communist he is a humane human being”, Mr Yechury said “you cannot be a good communist without being a good human being. Being a communist means a good human being".