Unending Violence Over Land Negotiations

Muslim Murasu, September 2011

Acquisition is the first thing a person involves in after acquiring political power. British law grants access based on ‘paper’ facts. Who owns the land is not important. One person uses the land. Patta (registration) is with another. A powerful middleman enters the picture. It is difficult to set the rules. Gangster, police officer, revenue bureaucrat, lawyer and politician continuously compete for the valued broker position.
During 1970s, poverty-stricken candidates entered politics and found it gratifying. Occupying government lands followed. Thirty years has seen good development. They have gone further to transform even private owned properties.
A government staff earning 50000 rupees per month cannot sit on judgement over properties worth five crore rupees. River is in spate. Let us take what we can. This is the attitude of government officer.
Landless people are countless. Three crore people in Tamilnadu live in rented houses. But those who tasted government fund and power gather homes, villas and plots in multiple districts. Twenty lack Tamilans have transformed as looters. They constitute a mammoth dominating force. Under their auspice and mercy, one crore Tamilans have risen as new wealth holders. They cut across caste, religion, district and political party divide. They operate as single team, single group with single-minded objective to loot and pilfer.
It is not possible to punish those involved in cases over land acquisition and Patta fraud. This scandal is prevalent both in rural and urban areas without distinction. There is no use in framing legal cases. Judgements should be pronounced within a period of one month. Legal drama should not go on for years together. People have lost confidence.
Scores of landless people will aggravate land scandals. Occupying land will continue with violent ferocity. Cat is friend to milk. Police won’t stop land perpetration. Politician can occupy and acquire anything and in any quantity. There is no one to stop this. This is present reality.