Violence in Unnao as Farmers Protest over Compensation for Land

The farmers allege that they have not been properly compensated for their lands acquired for a project.

A screengrab from the footage of the farmers’ protest in Unnao.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Violence continued in Uttar Pradesh for the second consecutive day on Sunday, 17 November, where farmers protesting in Unnao for higher compensation for the land acquired for a proposed township, set ablaze a crusher plant and some plastic pipes in the open field near a power sub-station, IANS reported.

The sub-station compound went up in flames and the fire tenders had a tough time dousing the flames, police said.

The District Magistrate called it the work of some “miscreants”.

"Some miscreants are doing this. We will go to villages and appeal to the people to maintain peace. This is a deed of miscreants. We'll maintain peace and the work will also go on,” he said, according to ANI.

Farmers Protesting Since Saturday

The farmers had staged a protest on Saturday, alleging that they have not been properly compensated for their lands that were acquired for Trans Ganga City project, news agency ANI reported.

This is a residential project that the UP State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC) is developing.

On Saturday, the protesting farmers clashed violently with the police, leaving seven policemen, including an additional SP and deputy SP, wounded in stone pelting. The police had to resort to lathi-charge and lobbed teargas shells to control the crowd, IANS reported.

A video of the incident shows cops in riot gear running after farmers and hitting them with lathis.

“Some miscreants had later fired bullets on the police party and pelted stones at them. Five cops were injured. Police has lodged FIR against 30 named and 200 unidentified people. Investigation is underway. Five people have already been arrested,” ANI quoted the Unnao SP as saying.

Around 12-13 farmers were injured in protests and have been referred to the government hospital in Kanpur, according to the farmer body Bhartiya Kisan Union.

The UP State Industrial Development Corporation has lodged an FIR against eight named persons and 200 unidentified people for attacking them at the site, IANS reported.

Project Aimed at Spurring Investment

The infrastructure development project of the Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation was aimed at spurring investment, job creation, education, health and industrial development in the Unnao region, according to Business Standard.

Former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had flagged off the project by laying the foundation stone in 2014.

District Magistrate of Unnao Devendra Kumar Pandey said that Trans-Ganga City is an under-construction project and farmers have been compensated.

“There is a faction of farmers who are misleading others for their selfish motives,despite the fact that their grievances have already been resolved,” he said, according to ANI.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi criticised the BJP government and police action on Twitter, saying farmers were assaulted.

Bhartiya Kisan Union Condemns Incident

Farmer body Bhartiya Kisan Union has released a statement post the incident, condemning the action taken by the police. In the statement, they have demanded that an investigation be launched against the police who lathicharged the farmers and that they be suspended as well.

(Photo: The Quint)

Shailendra Pratap Singh, spokesperson of the Bhartiya Kisan Union in Unnao, who visited the protest site, said that 154 farmers have not received the compensation till date.

According to him, while the UPSIDC was willing to give the due compensation, there was some confusion regarding bank accounts resulting in delay in payment. Internal disputes in farmer's families also added to the confusion, making it difficult to clear the payment.

(With inputs from ANI , IANS and Business Standard.)