Battle royal at AP Capital lands

Penumaka, Guntur District , March 3: The fertile land on the banks of Krishna river what is described as the zareeb land which reaped three to four crops a year has now been the axe of grind between farmers of Guntur District and the Andhra Pradesh government.

Simply because Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu wants to build a world class state capital on huge tract of agricultural land in 29 villages of Tullur, Mangalagiri mandals of Guntur district where nearly a lakh farmers grew flowers, bananas, vegetables, coconut, etc on all 365 days a year .

Why did Naidu choose that piece of land for the capital? Grapevine says that it best suited his Vastu - Upland on the south-west and water on Eesanya (north east). Hence he was hell bent on acquiring the land by hook or crook. First he appeased them with land pooling and when it failed he is initiating land acquisition law triggering a wave of protests from tenant farmers, small farmers and farm labor who will be denied of livelihood options.

YSRC president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, leader of opposition in Andhra Pradesh Assembly with 67 odd MLAs today drew applause from farmers of the 29 villages slotted for development as the Capital Region Development Authority when he stood with many of them in their fight against forcible land acquisition by the government.

One after another, several women farm laborers, tenant farmers, small farmers took the center stage and screamed "We are all developed and don't need the Singapore style of development" in a clear rebuttal to AP CM's claim to prosper them even in wake of grabbing away their lands.

One after another villagers came up to him and pleaded with him that they were not happy with the assurance of the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and that they would rather be left to themselves as they were already content with their earnings and did not want Chandrababu to devoid them of their bread and butter which they have nourished since several generations.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu dreams of building a world class capital on the banks of Krishna river with ultra modern technology deployed by the Singapore and Japanese architects and builders so that the void caused by the loss of Hyderabad to the new state is filled up. Naidu has showcased his agenda for the new capital at all world economic forums and signed up with Singapore Government to design and supervise the new constructions with likely investment from the Japanese.

For most of the farmers, loss of land also meant loss of heritage and also pose bleak future for the next generations of the family. "For generations we have lived in the holy land of Buddha and other spiritual gurus and now we have been asked to find new homes," says 65-year-old M Veera Reddy who has just 4 acres in Penumaka village. There are hundreds like Veera Reddy for whom the YSRC chief has become an angel with a candle and have rallied around him to save their lands, save their heritage and also safeguard their future.

What made them turn against AP CM Chandrababu Naidu who had offered them so many incentives with land for land and jobs, house, etc? "Because we cannot trust him and have lost confidence in him," say a few. Naidu changed his definition of loan waiver after winning elections. What is the guarantee that he will not sing another tune after the land is taken away and the capital is built? asked Sujatamma, a small farmer with only two acres of land and two daughters to marry off yet.

Many others were unhappy against the coercive measures and forcible tricks of the AP government and the TDP leaders to wean away their fertile lands and their only livelihood option in the region. "Chandrababu has put police at every corner of the village and making us insecure in our own homes and lands. We have not slept properly for three months," says Snehalata, a farmer with 5 acres.

Obviously the farmers with big land holdings are being wooed by the Government and the small and margin farmers are still pondering as they are the losers either way. And rightfully, the YSRC chief appears as a guarding angel to them. Some old Christian ladies even screamed Aleluia ( Hallellujah at the meetings of Penumaka.

But uncertainty and dark future appears written clearly on the faces of the farmers and residents of the 29 villages slotted for the acquisition and creation of a world class state capital on the banks of Krishna river. Both AP CM Chandrababu Naidu and the leader of opposition Jagan Mohan Reddy appear to be fighting over the spoils of the farmers. But in other words both the leaders are at logger heads on who would benefit from the new capital - People or the political parties.