Declare June 10 as Land Rights Day

About 30,000 landless people yesterday celebrated the Land Rights Day at Ghughudab Beell in Bishnapur with a call to intensify the on-going agitation to establish landless people's rights to government land.

Ignoring scorching sun, boys and girls, men and women of all ages from some 20 districts in the Padma and Jamuna basins gathered near the Beel ( marshy land). They danced, sang and spoke to renew their vow to realise the right to land.

They also demanded of the government that the June 10 Land Rights Day be declared a public holiday and be observed at national level.

On June 10 in 1985, some 20,000 landless men and women, with sticks and iron rods in hand, gathered at Ghughudah and established their right on some 1000 acres of government land after supreme sacrifices by many.

The Land Rights day is celebrated every year to commemorate the event. This year the programme was organised by Bhumi Odhikar Dibosh Udjapan Parishad-2005, the land rights day celebration committee.

"It is day for us to strengthen our movement and spread it throughout the country; and we are sure, we will reach our goal," said Azmat Ullah 75, one of those who fought for land in 1985.

Receiving a crest from Samata (an NGO) for playing a 'significant role in the movement'. Azmat Ullah in his old but strong voice said he will support and do whatever he can to establish the right of landless people.

The tussle between influential landgrabbers and the landless poor for government land (khas land) is unending. Thousands become landless every year due to erosion by the Jamuna and the Padma, he said.

Supreme sacrifices by landless Imtaz Ali, Lokman Hossain, Lal Mohan, Haider Ali and Kalimuddin made no progress in achieving their goal till June 10, 1885 when they united to establish their rights, Azmat Ullah said.

After 1985, the government in association with Samata, distributed some 1,000 acres of land among 1500 landless families in the region who are now living on those.

Kharun, one of the 11 honoured with crests, said, "Though I lost my husband, I am happy that hundreds of landless people have got their right to land and are living well." Kharun's husband was killed in the clashes on June 10, 1985.

The Ghughudah Beel is one of many areas where there are vast khas lands. According to government statistics, there are about 40 lakh acres of khas land in the country while some 57 per cent of the population is landless.

Engineer Shaidullah, convenor of the Movement for Protection of Country's Oil, Gas and Port, speaking as the chief guest at the grand rally, said most of the khas lands are grabbed by influential people, who have both money and muscle. Only unity of landless people can foil their design, he added.

Presiding over the rally, Khushi Kabir, Coordinator of Nijera Kori, an NGO, called upon the landless people to consolidate their movement and make best use of the lands under their possession.

Santosh Singh, an organiser of Ekota Parisahd of India, said 43 per cent people in India are landless.

"Let us unite once again to establish our rights to land and a good living," he said.

Samata Executive Director Abdul Kader, Barrister Sara Hossain, Association of Land Reform and Development Executive Director Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury, Alliance for Development Support and Coopertion Executive Director Shamsul Huda also spoke at the rally.