A compromised consensus

AFTER 19 months of intense negotiations between the ruling United Progressive Alliance government and opposition parties, the Land Acquisition (Rehabilitation and Resettlement) Bill of 2011 is close to being passed by Parliament. On April 18, the government claimed that all major political parties have reached a “broad consensus” on the Bill.

Agrarian crisis: farmers from 15 states protest at Delhi Jantar Mantar

Thousands of farmers from 15 states have gathered at Jantar Mantar, demanding Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention to resolve the farm crisis in the country.

Centre set to dilute tribal rights over forestland

The Central government seems to have changed its stance on allowing forest dwellers and tribal people have the final say in allowing forestland diversion for mining and other projects. In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court in the ongoing Vedanta case, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) reiterated that mining in Niyamgiri hills, sacred to the Kondh tribals of the area in Odisha’s Kalahandi district, cannot be allowed.

Pre-dawn police crackdown on village at POSCO site

In a questionable land acquisition effort by government, hundreds of armed police personnel barged into Gobindpur village—a settlement that falls in the project area of South Korean steel major POSCO’s proposed mega steel mill in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district—before sunrise on Sunday. The pre-dawn swoop marked resumption of land acquisition for the Rs 51,000 crore steel project which local people have been opposing vehemently for the past eight years.

Long road to justice

With most political parties having set their sights on the 2014 national elections, the Congress-led UPA government is surely hoping for a repeat of the 2009 miracle. A good part of the credit for the 2009 victory has been given to progressive legislation like the employment guarantee Act. It is no surprise then that the Congress is looking at more such pieces of legislation before the country goes to the polls.

Coal blocks on offer

Desperate for dam

Rage over asbestos

Land unrest set to increase in India: study

Disputes over land rights, which have turned violent in recent years with communities taking on authorities, are set to rise India. Land requirement for industrial projects in India are set to be triple in the next 15 years, and with this conflicts over land acquisition are going to increase, according to a new study.

Deaf to nuclear plant protests