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Except Left, major parties silent on land reforms by Law Kumar Mishra

Except for the Left parties, none of the major political parties have given importance to land reforms and problems of landless people during the elections.

The Janata Dal(U) and the RJD-LJP are silent on land reforms. In their manifestoes in the previous elections, they had devoted some space to declare their dedication to the problem of land reforms.

According to the official sources, the last action of distribution of surplus land was done during the emergency when 11 lakh acres of surplus land was distributed among the landless. Till then, there were 19 lakh landless families in the state. The success could be achieved due to the forced enforcement of the 20-point economic programme.

According to a conservative estimate, 22 lakh acres of surplus land is yet to be distributed among the needy. The Janata (U) manifesto of 2005 had promised to distribute surplus land to the needy, but there is no reference to any such plan in the latest manifesto. The RJD, which ruled the state for 15 years, too is silent on the issue.

The CPI(ML) in its manifesto has promised to implement the recommendations of the D Bandopadyaya Commission set up by CM Nitish Kumar. Every landless family will be given one acre each and 10 decimal of land will be given for housing to the homeless if the Left parties come to power after the Bihar assembly polls.

CPM general secretary Prakash Karat has said his party would give top priority to land reforms programmes. Though destined to be in the opposition, the party will agitate for land reforms and work for distribution of surplus land to the landless.

CPM state secretariat member Sarvodaya Sharma said here on Tuesday, "The party cadres had forcibly taken possession of 40,000 acres of land at various places in Purnia, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Supaul, Saharasa, Jehanabad and Buxar during its land grab movement."

On forcibly occupied land, the CPM set up colonies like A K Gopalan Nagar, Pramod Dasgupta Nagar and Marxwadi Colony at Rajgir near Tourist Bungalow.

It was the land reforms, which made the Left parties strong in Bihar. Once, they were occupying the position of leader of opposition in the state assembly, but after the emergency, the Left strength in the Bihar assembly started declining. From 37 members in the assembly in the late 60s, now they are reduced to seven.

The CPM has just one member in the existing House. The Left movement split several times in the last 15 years. Indian People's Front headed by Binod Mishra had seven MLAs in 1990. Four of them later joined Lalu Prasad. The Krantikari Communist Party, also another splinter group of CPI, later joined the Lalu coalition. Six MLAs were elected on CPM ticket in Bihar in 1990, all of them extended support to Lalu to keep the "communal forces" away.

The ML is contesting 103 seats, CPI 58 seats and the CPM 30 seats. For the first time, the three major Left parties have entered into electoral alliance. Earlier, they had allied with the RJD which gave only a few seats to them and this led to erosion in their support base in the rural areas and industrial towns like Barauni.

Now, the Left parties are trying to re-establish themselves and land reforms is being considered the most important programme for their revival.