SDPI Slams Ujjain ‘Spiritual City’ as Anti-Farmer Land Grab by BJP Govt

P Abdul Majeed Faizy, National General Secretary of the Social Democratic Party of India, has condemned the BJP-led Madhya Pradesh government’s proposed “Spiritual City” project in Ujjain, terming it an assault on farmers’ livelihoods and people’s rights. He stated that the plan reflects the Modi regime’s anti-farmer policies, where corporate greed and electoral gains are placed above social justice.

The project involves acquiring more than 2,300 hectares of fertile farmland under a controversial land pooling policy. For centuries, land for the Kumbh Mela was taken on temporary lease and returned to farmers with due compensation. The new plan seeks permanent acquisition to build ashrams, hotels, malls, and infrastructure that will remain unused for most of the year. This threatens to displace nearly 5,000 farmers, fragment holdings, and push families into poverty.

Protests are intensifying in Ujjain, Indore, and Bhopal, where farmers face police intimidation, detentions, and non-transparent procedures. The government’s amendment to the Town and Country Planning Act in March, passed in haste, has raised suspicions of handing over prime land to private developers for commercial exploitation.

The Modi government’s duplicity is evident. It supports initiatives that mirror the failed farm laws of 2020–21, already rejected by the farming community. Such moves deepen the agrarian crisis marked by debt, climate stress, and low incomes. Allegations of encroachments on waqf land and demolition of minority sites further indicate an agenda of Hindutva-driven consolidation ahead of elections.

SDPI has demanded immediate scrapping of the land pooling scheme, a return to temporary leasing practices, and transparent consultations with all stakeholders. Failure to address farmers’ concerns risks triggering a Singur-like backlash, alienating rural communities, and widening inequality. True development must safeguard farmers and uphold justice.