Farmers march to Secretariat, seek abolition of Muzara Act

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 24

Small and marginal farmers from the region staged a protest march on the cart road to the Secretariat today. They demanded the allotment of land to them by abolishing the Muzara Act.

The march disrupted the movement of traffic for over an hour.

The rapid response team of the police did not allow protesters to go beyond Talland.

Carrying banners stating “Give ‘chakauta’ common village land to farmers, abolish Muzara Act”, the farmers raised slogans in protest.

The farmers of all age groups took part in the protest and came all the way from the old bus stand to the cart road, demanding justice.

They said they did not have land rights over the ‘chakuata’ land, which was the sole source of livelihood for them.

They alleged even after Independence, they were living like slaves and worked like bonded labourers in fields as all cultivable land was owned by big landlords.

They rued that the state government had not abolished the Muzara Act even after Himachal became a full-fledged state in 1971.