PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ New Tehri
The relay hunger strike in Sulyadhar, protesting the tender for leasing panchayat/government land in the Baur-Ramgaon area given to a private organisation, entered its third day on Friday. Villagers, public representatives and members of the outfit spearheading the agitation pledged to further strengthen their movement in coming days.
They affirmed at the protest site that this fight was being waged to protect the region’s ancestral lands, water, forests, land and local rights. They clarified that the movement and the relay fasting would continue until the tender was completely cancelled.
The speakers stated that the people would never accept the transfer of community and panchayat land to private hands.
The agitating outfit appealed to the state government and administration to respect public sentiment and immediately cancel the tender. “This movement is not solely about the land of Baur-Ramgaon, but rather a public interest issue related to the protection of Uttarakhand’s ancestral lands, water, forests, land, and rural resources,” a leader, who has been on fast, said and warned that the movement would expand further until the tender is annulled. “This is a democratic movement being led by the people and leaders of several political parties. Ignoring our collective demand will fuel the movement further,” he declared.
