*Date:21/10/2009* *URL:
http://www.thehindu.com/2009/10/21/stories/2009102161210700.htm*
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* Nitish says no to new land reform law *
Shoumojit Banerjee * This evokes sharp criticism from the Opposition parties
*

Patna: Ending months of speculation about passing the “bataidari”
(sharecropper) Bill, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has finally declared
that his government has no plans to pass the law which would protect the
rights of the sharecroppers in the State.

The statement by the Chief Minister, going back on the panel’s
recommendations, has evoked sharp criticism from the Opposition parties.

The D. Bandopadhyay Commission for land reforms, which was appointed by Mr.
Kumar in 2006, submitted its report in April 2008. The Commission had
proposed a new Act to protect the State’s 5.84 lakh homeless sharecroppers.

Mr. Kumar said if this law had not been enacted in a State like West Bengal
then there was no chance of it succeeding in Bihar. As of now, the
government has not tabled the committee report in the State legislature.

Mr. Kumar’s statement has kicked up a storm with the Opposition, which is
now accusing him of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds. The
report, while not proposing any transfer of ownership to the bataidars
(sharecroppers), discusses the issue of their cultivation as well as
suggesting enactment of legislation for the protection of their rights.
‘Party pressure’

“He is now deliberately confusing the issue as he does not have a unique
vote base of his own. His primary support comes from the upper castes and he
is now facing strong pressure from within his party to prevent enactment of
this law,” said CPI (M-L) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya speaking
to *The Hindu*.

“Nitish has to come out clear on this issue as his government has also
rejected the proposition of uniformity in land ceiling,” he added.

“It is one thing to say that Operation Barga has run out of steam in West
Bengal and quite another not to attempt any implementation of the panel’s
recommendations in Bihar at all,” said Mr. Bhattacharya.
No record of ‘bataidars’

Speaking to *The Hindu*, Mr. Bandopadhyay castigated Mr. Kumar’s statement
and said “Mr. Kumar is wallowing in the quagmire of caste politics and will
ultimately drown in its whirlpool”.

“He has not made any attempt to even record the number of ‘bataidars’ in
Bihar. He has shown that he lacks courage when it came to implementing the
‘bataidar’ law by developing cold feet and succumbing to the pressures of
his party which mainly comprises upper castes,” said Mr. Bandopadhyay,
adding that Mr. Kumar did not have the foggiest notion about the Bihar
Tenancy Act and was not aware of the law.
* *

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