[The following is the forwarding note, in full, to an earlier mail, posted on Feb. 26 last, on this very issue, under the caption: '"Land Bill: Why 2015 can be watershed or Waterloo for Modi govt": A Modi Camp Follower Analyses' (see: <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/india-unity/conversations/topics/55594>):
Following closely the disastrous electoral outcome in Delhi, if the government eventually buckles, it will seriously dent Modi's image as a He-Man and the polar opposite of the Congress, allegedly characterised by its "policy paralysis". That cannot but have a cascading effect and help evaporate the "Modi magic", rather sooner than later. That's what Jagannathan has clearly acknowledged in his write-up, reproduced at sl. no. I below. But at the same time he assesses a fight-to-finish on this issue resulting in eventual defeat would be considerably more disastrous. Though he has not said it in so many words, the underlying message here appears to be: discretion is the better part of valour. A tactical retreat, he appears to be arguing for: "But this [i.e. an effective counter move as outlined by him] needs a 12-18 month political gameplan, not a debate or two in Parliament. The land bill can be a landmine if handled badly. 2015 can be Modi's watershed year - or Waterloo." It is also not without significance that the concerned minister himself, the rural development minister, the day before yesterday, declined to defend the bill in public. (See: <http://www.asianage.com/india/more-nda-raise-land-bill-objections-058>.) Even then the Modi regime is not ready to retreat, at least as yet, given the likely damaging effects. That's the apparent message embedded in Arun Jaitley's dogged defence of the bill in the Rajya Sabha yesterday. (See: <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Arun-Jaitley-on-land-bill-Dont-make-industry-infrastructure-bad-words/articleshow/46382720.cms>.) And the news story, at sl. no. II below, suggests that the government will not spare trying out any efforts - "saam daam dand bhed", as prescribed by Jagannathan as well, to achieve its mission. So we'd be having a very engaging budget session this time, much more than usual. End While the passage of the bill in the Lok Sabha, later today, is almost a given, it is not clear how the ruling party can avoid the bill being shunted to the Select Committee by the Rajya Sabha, where it is in hopeless minority, and thereby frustrating the move to call a joint session of the parliament to pass the bill in any near future. ***It does not look that the strategy of "saam daam dand bhed", which also includes the (vague) offer to modify the provisions of the bill, though only to a limited extent, is going to suffice. In such an event, the macho-man - one with "56" chest", image of Modi is going to be seriously dented. More so, closely following the Delhi debacle.***] I/III. http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-congress-decides-to-vote-against-land-bill-if-government-does-not-drop-changes-2067503 Congress decides to vote against Land Bill if government does not drop changes Tuesday, 10 March 2015 - 8:46am IST | Place: New Delhi | Agency: PTI Toughening its stand, Congress on Monday decided to vote against against controversial Land Bill in Lok Sabha if Government does not withdraw changes or refuses to send it to the Standing Committee. Toughening its stand, Congress on Monday decided to vote against against controversial Land Bill in Lok Sabha if Government does not withdraw changes or refuses to send it to the Standing Committee. Party President Sonia Gandhi chaired two meetings of the Parliamentary Affairs Committee of the party and all its 44 Lok Sabha MPs to discuss the strategy over the bill, whose 2013 version was the brainchild of party Vice President Rahul Gandhi. The party is issuing a three-line whip to its members in the Lower House asking them to be present and vote against the measure. "We will vote against the bill in the Lok Sabha if Government fails to revert to the orginal bill of 2013 or sends the new bill to the Standing Committee for consideration," party whip in Lok Sabha K C Venugopal said after the meeting. Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, "we will oppose the bill tooth and nail." Indications of escalating confrontation between the government and the Congress over the measure were visible earlier in the day, when the main Opposition party accused Modi's "personal adamance" for the showdown. AICC Communication department in charge Randip Surjewala said that BJP leaders having reservations over the measure have become "mute spectator" due to "personal adamance" of Modi to push the bill in its present form. He also alleged that the measure was "draconian, anti-poor and pro-industrialists". His remarks came on a day when Rural Development Minister Birender Singh moved the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill 2015, for consideration and passage in the Lok Sabha. The amendments seeks to exempt social impact surveys for land acquisition for five purposes including industrial corridor, rural infrastructure and housing for poor. Congress is insisting that it wants "no changes" in the 2013 Land Act. It has been accusing the Prime Minister and his government of killing the soul and spirit of the Act. Congress has also got a shot in arm with NDA ally Shiv Sena saying it has not taken any decision on supporting the legislation or otherwise. "We have given our suggestions to the Prime Minister in writing. We will act according to the direction of the party chief Uddhav Thackeray," party leader Sanjay Raut told PTI, indicating that the bill in its present form was not accepatable to the party. Shiv Sena is the second largest constituent of the BJP led NDA, having 18 members in the Lower House and three in the Upper House. Modi dispensation has the numbers in the Lok Sabha to see the bill through but is not in a majority in the Rajya Sabha. The Opposition strategy appears to be to keep the bill pending in the Rajya Sabha without rejecting it so as to torpedo possible plans of the government to call a joint session. A measure has to be passed in one House and get defeated in the other to enable it to be brought up in a joint session for passage. II/III. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Opposition-adamant-but-govt-to-table-amended-land-bill/articleshow/46510211.cms Opposition adamant, but govt to table amended land bill TNN | Mar 10, 2015, 03.13 AM IST NEW DELHI: With Congress sticking to its guns on the land acquisition bill, the government has decided to reach out to other political parties with a clutch of amendments to win their support ahead of voting on the bill in Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The Centre will move an amended bill with two new provisions -- employment for one person of a displaced family in every project that comes up on acquired land and a district-level tribunal for grievance redressal. It has also lined up other possible changes -- ensuring minimum acquisition of land for a project for which states would be roped in to determine the exact demand; industrial corridors to be defined in terms of the width they would occupy instead of being open-ended; and ensuring that land is not diverted for purposes other than what it is acquired for. There is also the option of restoring the "consent clause" for private projects (as was prescribed by the UPA law) but with a diluted quantum of vote from landowners for nod to acquisition. The government may also offer to redefine "private entity" to ensure that no individual passes off as a company to acquire land. But sources said these would be moved depending on the mood of the debate in the lower House. The amendments have been discussed with non-Congress parties in the wake of widespread opposition to the bill dubbed as "anti-farmer", reinforced by the polarized tone of the debate in Lok Sabha in which BJP allies and friendly parties came out against it. The focus on weaning away parties from the Congress-led bloc started after attempts to persuade the lead opposition outfit came to naught when the government approached it for negotiations on Monday. Party members in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjuna Kharge and Ghulam Nabi Azad, turned down the government's olive branch that it was ready to incorporate changes to the bill. Congress instead sought a coupling between the bills on insurance reforms and land acquisition, demanding that the land bill be sent to Parliament's select committee in return for support on the insurance bill. The offer was turned down as also Kharge's demand in Lok Sabha that the bill be referred to the standing committee. In meetings called by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Monday evening, key managers and Lok Sabha MPs decided to press ahead with an aggressive campaign against the bill and seek their referral to the parliamentary panels. Lok Sabha whip K C Venugopal said the party would seek division of votes on Tuesday to drive home its opposition to the bill and demanded that the government restore the UPA's land law. Given the hostility, the government in recent weeks upped its efforts to enlist the support of regional parties. While it held discussions with Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, there have been talks with SP and BSP. The changes being mulled seek to provide a cover to these parties which find it politically risky to back the bill dubbed as anti-farmer. III. http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31818&articlexml=CONGRESS-LEFT-TMC-OTHERS-JOIN-HANDS-After-LS-10032015002043 Mar 10 2015 : The Economic Times (Mumbai) CONGRESS, LEFT, TMC OTHERS JOIN HANDS - After LS, Land Bill Will Go to RS Select Panel Rakesh Mohan Chaturvedi New Delhi: `We are working on who would move the motion to demand that bill be sent to a select panel' New Delhi: The government's hopes of replacing the ordinance on Land Acquisition with a legislation this session has hit a wall with Congress, Left parties, TMC and other Opposition parties joining hands to move a motion in the Rajya Sabha for sending the bill to a select committee of the Upper House. ***Congress, CPM, CPI, TMC, JD(U), RJD, SP, BSP, DMK and some other parties have decided that once the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill, 2015, is introduced in the Rajya Sabha, after it is passed by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, they would demand that it be sent to a Select Committee according to a senior Opposition source.*** [Emphasis added.] "We have already conveyed this to the government and are working on who would move the motion to demand that the bill be sent to a select committee," a senior Opposition leader from the Rajya Sabha told ET. BJP is confident of support of Shiv Sena, LJP and AIADMK, who are not part of the group demanding that the bill be sent to a select committee. Government sources said it was con fident of winning over BJD too, before the bill is put to vote. However, during the debate in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Shiv Sena and BJD opposed the bill. As per the rules, the motion for sending a bill to a select committee can be moved by any member. The panel will have proportionate representation of the House. ***Though the Lok Sabha is likely to pass the land bill on Tuesday, government sources conceded that there appears to be no option but to bow to the Opposition demand in the Rajya Sabha as NDA is in a minority in the House*** [emphasis added]. SP may support the bill if certain alterations are made. "We are opposed to some provisions." Click To Enlarge -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. 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