Shift Delhi Race Course, build national memorial to farmers in its place, say Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan

With several members holding placards and posters in support of farmers’ rights, the three leaders led a protest outside the Race Course gate on Sunday afternoon amid heavy police deployment. Even as several regulars at the club heckled them, Yadav said this was a symbol of the injustice that had been meted out to the farmers.

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“During the independence struggle, the salt satyagraha was a symbol for Mahatma Gandhi. For our Jai Kisan Andolan, there is no better example of the injustice against farmers than the Race Club that stands across the road from the Prime Ministers residence,” he said.

Yadav, Bhushan and Kumar submitted a notice to the club and said the Abhiyan would be forced to intensify its struggle if no action was taken in nine days.
According to a statement issued by the Abhiyan, 1,792 acres of land was acquired from Malcha village in 1912 “for public purpose, namely for the new capital of India”. Farmers were offered a compensation of Rs 15 to Rs 35 per acre, while they had demanded between Rs 1,600 and Rs 2,400.

“Historical records suggest that the farmers rejected this offer and were forcibly evicted without any resettlement. Also, most of the farmers never received even this token compensation fixed by the government… After acquisition, this piece of land was not used for any government building or facility nor was it returned to the farmers. It was leased to a private entity, the Delhi Gymkhana Race Club. This lease was transferred to the Delhi Race Club in 1940, which turned into an incorporated public limited company in 1941, and thus acquired land for private profiteering,” the statement read.

The statement added, “What is shocking is that the club has been allowed to carry on its operations although its lease expired in 1998 and has not been renewed since. The Land and Development Office of the Ministry of Urban Development had promptly served an eviction notice to the Club on October 25, 1999. But after that, public authorities have been strangely lax…”

The leaders also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They said despite promising to look after farmers, the club was symptomatic of the treatment meted out to farmers all over the country. “All the Prime Minister has to do is to walk across and see how land from farmers is misappropriated. We demand that this land be recreated as a place which symbolises the contribution of farmers in India,” Kumar said.

Under the Abhiyan’s Jai Kisan Andolan, a march will be held on August 1 in Punjab and will end 10 days later at Jantar Mantar. Expecting a large number of farmers in Delhi, organisers said the issue of the Race Club would be taken up then as well.