Noted artist Anjolie Ela Menon,who on Tuesday withdrew her case challenging the land acquisition made by the Haryana government in Gurgaons Ulhawas village,feels that the government persuaded the landowners to appear before the high-powered committee for reconsideration. Speaking to The Indian Express from Bangalore,Menon said that initially,she had reservations over the constitution of the committee and the members. Since all the members are representatives of the Haryana government,I had reservations about appearing before the committee to seek relief, she said. Asked about the reason behind changing her decision,Menon said: The government wanted all the landowners to appear before the high-powered committee so that our claims can be reconsidered. A day after Menon withdrew her case,the remaining petitions including the one which raised the issue of alleged illegal release of land to the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust were also withdrawn. Menon was the main petitioner in the bunch of 70 petitions,all of which now stand withdrawn. The Haryana government had decided to reconsider its acquisition of land made for the development of residential Sectors 58 to 63 in Gurgaon after one of the petitioners,Arvind Kaweta,alleged that it had favoured Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust by illegally releasing the land. Asked whether there was any pressure from the government or any private party,Menon said: Nobody approached us directly. However,there was lot of persuasion from the governments side. Nobody pressurised us to withdraw the case and appear before the committee. Expressing her anguish over harassment she has been facing,the Padmashree awardee said: I have been in litigation for the last two-and-a-half years. It is very cumbersome for us to visit Chandigarh on every date of hearing. I thought that I will try my luck before the high-powered committee. I am taking a chance. She clarified that if the committee fails to address her grievance,she will again approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Stating that she and her family are extremely emotionally attached with their land being acquired by the Haryana government Menon said the land is our lifes blood. We do not want to be ousted at this age. The place is beautiful and surrounded by trees. I have my studio there as well, she added. Asked whether she hopes to get relief from the committee,Menon said: I can only pray and hope that our land is released to us. We are very uspet. HC defers hearing to August 16 The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday deferred the hearing of PIL filed by 15 villagers from Ulhawas,who have moved the court against alleged illegal release of land to Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust. Accusing the Haryana government of showing unholy haste in releasing around five acres of land to the Trust as was first reported by The Indian Express the villagers have made the Trust,gram panchayat of Ulhawas village respondents in the case. Without issuing notices to the respondents,the high court deferred the case to August 16,ordering that the same division bench which was presiding over the land acquisition case will decide the PIL.
