Tarun Karthick
Campbell Bay, 25 January 2023
Mrs. VD Leju, Prominent Social Worker and LG Commendation Certificate Awardee has recently written a letter to the President of India, Prime Minister of India, Home Minister, Defence Minister and Minister of Rural Development requesting them to provide enhanced compensation of Rs. 33.75 Lakhs/Hectare of Land to the Tsunami Affected Farmers.
Mrs. VD Leju also demanded that the land surrendered by the farmers in lieu of compensation should be returned back to them.
In her letter, Mrs. VD Leju informed the dignitaries that the grievances of the farmers of Andaman and Nicobar Islands have remained the same ever since the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004. She mentioned that although it’s the ninth year of the BJP-led Central Govt., but the Tsunami Victim Farmers are still running from pillar to post.
She further informed the dignitaries that on the 18th of May 2012, the then Member of Parliament, Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray met the then Prime Minister of India, Mr. Manmohan Singh with 11 Tsunami Victim Farmers to apprise him of their grievances. Mrs. Leju added that apart from foul promises and vague assurances the Tsunami Affected farmers have received nothing.
She also mentioned the visit of Mr. Nitin Gadkari to Bambooflat in 2015 after he became the Union Minster of Shipping and Transport in Modi 1.0 Govt. A public meeting was held during the visit of Mr. Nitin Gadkari and he had said in the public meeting that the issues of the Tsunami Victim Farmers would be resolved without any further delay, but unfortunately, the issue remains unresolved.
Mrs. Leju elaborated on the issues of the Tsunami Victim Farmers. She has questioned the pre-condition that had been imposed for release of compensation by the Govt.
The Govt. of the time had imposed the pre-condition that the affected land would be surrendered to the Govt. by the victim farmer for them to be eligible for receiving the compensation.
Mrs. Leju termed the pre-condition for availing compensation as ‘forcible accusation of one’s property in the disguise of compensation’. She questioned whether ‘Govt. takes away the gutted shop in a fire accident in lieu of providing compensation to the victim?’.
She informed the dignitaries that the families of the Tsunami Victim Farmers are suffering and the recommendation of the Vivek Rae Committee should be implemented immediately.