The land struggle in Andhra Pradesh has moved on to a new phase, with a new face. The struggle now is for the lands illegally possessed by some of the most influential big shots of the state.

After the brutal killings at Mudigonda, the land struggle has only strengthened in its spirit. On September 12007, around 4000 landless and homeless people under the leadership of the left parties have occupied lands owned by the Eenadu head Ramoji Rao and industrialist Girish Sanghi. About 14 acres of assigned lands adjacent to the Ramoji Film City near Naganpally illegally possessed by Ramoji Rao has been ‘Red-Flagged’ by the activists. Similarly, 118 acres of land possessed by Girish Sanghi has been occupied.

CPI(M) state general secretary B.V Raghavulu and CPI state general secretary K. Narayana were present at the incident and addressed the activists. He was quoted as saying “The government is not able to nab thieves, murderers and bombers but is in the forefront to arrest and stop the poor landless citizens of the state fighting lands they are supposed to be given by the government.”

The government deployed massive police forces in the areas and has also declared Section 144 in those places.

The following video is a news item telecasted on the Etv2 channel about the incident.

After the Telangana Arm struggle.. the biggest ever struggle that the state has ever seen is this “LAND STRUGGLE”. The land struggle triggered by CPI(M) is creating tremors to the ruling congress party. Their high handed hooligans have gone to the extent of hitting the people black and blue who are struggling for their just cause on land struggle. This is the right time to take up a discussion here on this issue.

“YOUNG MEN AWAKE !! ARISE !!
WE HAVE SLEPT FOR TOO LONG“

Please sign the petition condemning the police firing on the peaceful protests in Khammam. 8 people have been killed, the situation of 3 is critical and in total 16 members have received bullet injuries.

The petition link is at

http://www.petitiononline.com/cpfap/petition.html

For the last three months poor peasants, landless agricultural workers, homeless urban poor people are waging a struggle in Andhra Pradesh demanding the state government to implement the 9/77 act which guarantees land assignment to the poor. Instead of taking steps to implement this act government brought an amendment which nullifies the spirit of the Land Assignment Act, 1977 and paves way to legalise all illegal occupations by the land mafia and influential classes in the state. This act only meant for legalising the illegal occupations of assigned land, snatching away the assigned land from the hands of poor and to reallocate the same to the influential sections of the society.

At the same time lakhs of people are waiting in queue for almost one decade to get their
	piece of land to construct their homes. Government’s only refrain is that there is no such vacant land which could be given to common masses for such purpose. At the same time the committee appointed by state government under the chairmanship of Koneru Rangarao, Cabinet Minister, found huge tracts of land ( more than
60 lakh acres) available with the government right now with which government can allot at least one acre to each landless family in the state as on date.

Fearing worst consequences, the government has refused to make Koneru Rangarao Committee Report public. It is not even ready to table the report on the floor of state assembley. In this back ground a ground swelling movement is going on demanding the state government to implement the recommendations of Koneru Rangarao Committee. 195 grassroot organisations including NGOs cutting across political and ideological affiliations have joined hands in support of this demand. Of late major political parties in the state have also extended their solidarity. The ongoing struggle reached its peak with the Hunger fast movement where the leaders of CPI(M) and CPI sitting on fast. Thousands of hunger fast tents have already been erected in the state where lakhs of common people are sitting on hunger strike in support of demands.

Instead of agreeing to the genuine demands of the vast sections of people, state government has sought to repress the movement. More than three thousand cases were registered against the leaders of the movement. Thousands were sent to jail with non bailable warrants. Severe lathi charge has become a daily phenomenon where thousands are bearing the brunt of police. There is a en-mass moral support to this movement including those of upper middle class who could not find land to build their homes. This movement started by the joint actions of the 195 organisation has, now, turned into a political movemnet with joining of political parties and has assumed the proportion of land struggles, the first in last two decades. In solidarity with the huger-fast comrades people are observing State Bandh tomorrow, 28th July.

— From S.Vinay kumar/INN