The Gandhian movement Ekta Parishad plans to organise a march for land rights in October 2012 in India, aiming to gather around 100,000 indigenous people, dalits and poor peasants. Support is shaping up around the world, at events such as an international mobilisation conference in Geneva Sep. 12-13. "In India, a large number of adivasi (indigenous people) are pushed out of their land because of mining, huge dams, wildlife protection, industrialisation...

A survey conducted across nine states by the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and Allahabad University suggests that the much maligned system has revived, prodded by politics, good governance and the apex court. It also found the poor to be averse to cash transfers Kotri is a mid-sized village in Desuri block (Pali district, Rajasthan), about 15 kilometres away from the nearest large bus stand and market place. We walked to...

The foreword — to the Draft National Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill 2011 — that says “urbanisation is inevitable” (I.p.1) signifies danger. The Bill, if enacted in its present form, is likely to worsen, and not stop, displacement of tribal, Dalit and other backward communities. The Bill states: “The issue of who acquires land is less important than the process of land acquisition, compensation for land acquired and...

-PTI The Delhi government has completed the construction of 15,000 flats for the rehabilitation of slum dwellers. The allotment of 7,000 flats will start in October, it was announced Monday. Urban Development Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan said Monday in the legislative assembly: "Apart from that, government is also mulling to pay the share of Rs.60,000 for the eligible SC/ST slum dwellers for flats and a proposal regarding this is under consideration." He said...

-IANS   The Delhi government's scheme replacing the Public Distribution System with cash transfers is a "total fraud" as the poor will not benefit from receiving a fixed sum when prices of essential items are rising, NGO Rozi Roti Adhikar said on Tuesday. The NGO kicked off a 20-day yatra across the capital to galvanise opinion against the government's decision. According to a statement, the yatra will move through various parts of...