1 week Ago
Purandar: Once reverberated with slogans and dotted with black banners, the quaint Pargaon Memane village square has already sheded its tag of being the hub of anti-airport protesters. However, farmers' resolve remains steadfast as they have never let the issue die down, not especially now when assembly election is barely 12 days away, though politicians out on campaigning are smartly avoiding its mention in fear of backlash. "No political party can take our land without our permission," declared former sarpanch Jitendra Memane, voicing the sentiment shared by many in this tight-knit farming community.
Memane even quoted the recent Supreme Court order on protection of private property from arbitrary state takeover for a "public purpose", which has said that compulsory acquisition without adhearing to mandatory procedures followed by a grant of compensation to owners will not make the accession constitutional. Villagers have been up in arms ever since the state govt had in 2018 announced a new international airport in Purandar taluka, about 50 km from Pune, to cater to the growing demands from the city and region. Six years later, the long-contested project is the central issue galvanising voters in Pargaon Memane, part of Purandar assembly constituency that registered 65% turnout in the 2019 assembly poll.
Walking through green fields that grow jawar, custard apple, figs, and a variety of marigold, another villager Sarjerao Keshav Memane explained that the entire Purandar taluka was part of an arid zone. However, after the Purandar Upsa Irrigation Scheme was implemented, there was a turnaround. "The govt wants around 3,000 hectares of land from seven villages with more than 1,100 hectares from Pargaon itself.
This is not possible now as the villagers make a living off this cultivation," Sarjerao said, adding only the candidate toeing the villagers' line will get votes. Former sarpanch Bapu Memane said Shiv Sena (undivided) candidate Vijay Shivtare lost in the previous election only because he pushed the airport project. "However, this time he too has softened his stand and has assured us that there will be no forceful land acquisition.
" Confident that no one can usurp their land, people are instead discussing better water supply and provision of electricity for their farmland with party candidates, Vijay Pandurang Andure said. Deepak Memane, another landowner from the village, said, "This election's outcome will be decided on the merit of the top three candidates. While the airport project is still a burning issue, we will be looking for what work they are willing to do, including that of irrigation.
" At Khanawadi village, which faces giving up nearly 500 hectares, Deepak Phule did not sound optimistic. Amid plucking marigold with his family, he said, "We are staying next to the road where the land acquisition will be carried out and we may lose our house and fields." At Munjawadi, Ekhatpur, and Vanpuri, the sentiment grows stronger.
"Vimantal, kasa honar ikde (how could an airport come up here)?" questions 85-year-old Tatya Phule as he filled water from a tap. Pointing to the tap, he said they have just got water to start cultivation through drip irrigation, and it is impossible that such a huge project will displace villagers. "The govt may give us a one-time amount for our land, but they will take away our livelihood," said Reshma Khedekar from Vanpuri, who has been farming for the last 15 years.
With 15 acres under cultivation, she explained the varieties of marigold, adding their figs are transported to other states. In a friendly fight among two Mahayuti nominees, bureaucrat-turned-politician Sambhaji Zende of NCP will take on Shiv Sena's Vijay Shivtare for the Purandar seat, where current Congress MLA Sanjay Jagtap would go all out to get a second term. While Jagtap said he had already assured the farmers that no forceful acquisition of land would be carried out, Zende refused to elaborate on the issue and said, "Wishes of the farmers will be considered.
" Shivtare, on the other hand, said "he does not want to say anything about the airport project at all". With the airport issue simmering, it is likely that small corner sabhas may be announced, but no big politician is expected to hold any rallies, especially in these villages, a Congress worker said. Purandar: Once reverberated with slogans and dotted with black banners, the quaint Pargaon Memane village square has already sheded its tag of being the hub of anti-airport protesters.
However, farmers' resolve remains steadfast as they have never let the issue die down, not especially now when assembly election is barely 12 days away, though politicians out on campaigning are smartly avoiding its mention in fear of backlash. "No political party can take our land without our permission," declared former sarpanch Jitendra Memane, voicing the sentiment shared by many in this tight-knit farming community. Memane even quoted the recent Supreme Court order on protection of private property from arbitrary state takeover for a "public purpose", which has said that compulsory acquisition without adhearing to mandatory procedures followed by a grant of compensation to owners will not make the accession constitutional.
Villagers have been up in arms ever since the state govt had in 2018 announced a new international airport in Purandar taluka, about 50 km from Pune, to cater to the growing demands from the city and region. Six years later, the long-contested project is the central issue galvanising voters in Pargaon Memane, part of Purandar assembly constituency that registered 65% turnout in the 2019 assembly poll. Walking through green fields that grow jawar, custard apple, figs, and a variety of marigold, another villager Sarjerao Keshav Memane explained that the entire Purandar taluka was part of an arid zone.
However, after the Purandar Upsa Irrigation Scheme was implemented, there was a turnaround. "The govt wants around 3,000 hectares of land from seven villages with more than 1,100 hectares from Pargaon itself. This is not possible now as the villagers make a living off this cultivation," Sarjerao said, adding only the candidate toeing the villagers' line will get votes.
Former sarpanch Bapu Memane said Shiv Sena (undivided) candidate Vijay Shivtare lost in the previous election only because he pushed the airport project. "However, this time he too has softened his stand and has assured us that there will be no forceful land acquisition." Confident that no one can usurp their land, people are instead discussing better water supply and provision of electricity for their farmland with party candidates, Vijay Pandurang Andure said.
Deepak Memane, another landowner from the village, said, "This election's outcome will be decided on the merit of the top three candidates. While the airport project is still a burning issue, we will be looking for what work they are willing to do, including that of irrigation." At Khanawadi village, which faces giving up nearly 500 hectares, Deepak Phule did not sound optimistic.
Amid plucking marigold with his family, he said, "We are staying next to the road where the land acquisition will be carried out and we may lose our house and fields." At Munjawadi, Ekhatpur, and Vanpuri, the sentiment grows stronger. "Vimantal, kasa honar ikde (how could an airport come up here)?" questions 85-year-old Tatya Phule as he filled water from a tap.
Pointing to the tap, he said they have just got water to start cultivation through drip irrigation, and it is impossible that such a huge project will displace villagers. "The govt may give us a one-time amount for our land, but they will take away our livelihood," said Reshma Khedekar from Vanpuri, who has been farming for the last 15 years. With 15 acres under cultivation, she explained the varieties of marigold, adding their figs are transported to other states.
In a friendly fight among two Mahayuti nominees, bureaucrat-turned-politician Sambhaji Zende of NCP will take on Shiv Sena's Vijay Shivtare for the Purandar seat, where current Congress MLA Sanjay Jagtap would go all out to get a second term. While Jagtap said he had already assured the farmers that no forceful acquisition of land would be carried out, Zende refused to elaborate on the issue and said, "Wishes of the farmers will be considered." Shivtare, on the other hand, said "he does not want to say anything about the airport project at all".
With the airport issue simmering, it is likely that small corner sabhas may be announced, but no big politician is expected to hold any rallies, especially in these villages, a Congress worker said..
