In August 2024, the Union Cabinet approved Rs 10,534 crore for the construction of a six-lane, access-controlled national high-speed corridor that will extend 214 kilometers from Ahmedabad to Tharad. This ambitious infrastructure project, designed to slash travel time between the two cities from six hours to a mere three, is set to pass through five key districts in Gujarat: Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Patan, and Banaskantha. However, the project has ignited significant controversy, especially among the region's farming communities, due to the extensive land acquisition involved.
According to a report by the Gujarat Samachar, approximately 1,300 hectares of land will be acquired from local farmers to facilitate the construction of the highway. This land, much of it fertile agricultural land, will be converted into roadway, leading to concerns about the potential impact on crop production and the livelihoods of farmers. The loss of such a large amount of productive farmland has sparked fears that many farmers will be forced to transition from landowners to farm labourers, fundamentally altering the rural landscape of the region.
The first signs of unrest appeared in July 2022, when farmers in Mehsana district, one of the areas most affected by the project, began to organize protests against the land acquisition. Approximately 40 villages in the district participated in a rally held in Mehsana town, where farmers submitted a petition to the district collector outlining 11 key issues they wanted resolved. Among their demands were calls for a resurvey of the land to minimize acquisition, alignment changes to protect more farmland, and the implementation of a Minimum Support Price in the Land Acquisition Act. The farmers also expressed concern that the expressway would disrupt the local topography, particularly by damaging the Sujlam Suflam Canal, a vital irrigation source.
The protests in Mehsana were just the beginning of a broader movement against the project. By October 2022, the discontent had spread to Gandhinagar, where a large group of farmers staged a sit-in protest at the Satyagraha camp. The farmers, many of whom were directly affected by the land acquisition, gathered to voice their opposition to the Bharatmala project, which includes the Ahmedabad-Tharad expressway. The protestors, armed with banners and slogans, were resolute in their demands, with some even resorting to hunger strikes in an effort to halt the project.
The resistance reached a new peak in April 2024, when over 100 individuals gathered at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters in Gandhinagar to stage a protest against the highway project. This protest, organized under the banner of the 'Asargrast Khedut Samanvay Samiti,' saw the farmers reiterate their opposition to the land acquisition. The protesters declared their determination to protect their land, stating that they were willing to sacrifice their lives rather than surrender their property for the highway.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Refusal to give up land for the project
Demand to cancel the project
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand to implement MSP (Minimum Support Price) in Land Acquisition Act.
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common and Private
Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Agricultural land
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
10534
Type of investment:
Investment Expected
Year of Estimation
2024
Has the Conflict Ended?
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Non-consultation with stakeholders
Controversial land acquisition by the government
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Gujarat
Kumar Sambhav is a social entrepreneur and award-winning journalist, leading innovative research in accountability investigations. He is the founder of Land Conflict Watch and is currently working as India Research Lead with Princeton University’s Digital Witness Lab.
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