Burhanpur Farmers Stage Symbolic Half-Naked Protest Wrapped in Banana Leaves for Fair Land Compensation

Burhanpur- In a striking and peaceful demonstration that has captured widespread attention, farmers affected by the Pangri medium irrigation project in Madhya Pradesh's Burhanpur district took to the streets on January 8, wrapped in banana leaves and adorned with crowns made of teak leaves. This unique Gandhian-style protest highlights their long-standing demand for fair and enhanced compensation for land acquired under the project.

The farmers, hailing from villages impacted by the Pangri dam, have been awaiting justice for over three years. They are seeking double compensation as mandated by the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, which provides for higher rates in rural areas along with proper rehabilitation.

Despite repeated appeals and earlier agitations, the state government has failed to deliver a satisfactory resolution, pushing the farmers to adopt this symbolic and eye-catching method to awaken authorities to their plight.

The protest coincided with a visit by the district's in-charge minister and Water Resources Minister Tulsiram Silawat to Burhanpur, adding urgency to the farmers' call for immediate action.

Madhya Pradesh Congress President Jitu Patwari strongly criticized the Mohan Yadav-led BJP government on X (formerly Twitter) for its alleged insensitivity. In his viral post on January 9, he wrote: " Farmers on the ground are naked, while Mohan Yadav is engrossed in events. In Burhanpur, my farmer brothers are having to rouse the sleeping Mohan government by appearing half-naked. The compensation for the land acquired for these farmers' Pangri irrigation project has been pending for the past three years. The Land Acquisition Act 2013 clearly provides for double compensation on rural land, yet the Mohan government is sprawled out, trampling on the farmers' justice and rights, lost in a Kumbhakarna-like slumber. Addressing the CM, Patwari further wrote,"it is because of these very farmer brothers that today there is a grain of food in your plate and mine every day. Tormenting farmers in this way is reprehensible. My humble request to you is that the farmer brothers be immediately given their rightful compensation."

Ater MLA Hemant Katare too, took to x to express his disappointment. In a post he wrote, " Farmers on the streets, government on the stages. In Burhanpur, farmers are out on the streets, half-naked, seeking justice, while the government sits with its eyes shut. Compensation for land acquired for the Pangri Irrigation Project has been pending for 3 years, but the government's sensitivity is limited to events and speeches. Humiliating the food providers in this manner is proof of the government's failure and its evasion of accountability."