The very aim behind the Bhoodan movement, began by Vinoba Bhave, has not yet been achieved as the landless people are still struggling to get minimum requirement of land across the country, said Sarvoday Samaj leader Dr Ratan Das.
“The movement was aimed at giving opportunities to the landless farmers to have rights over land through distribution of excess lands of the landlords. But due to lack of interest in the later stage, the programme has fizzled put altogether,” said Dr Das at a seminar titled ‘Bikalpa Sandhane Sarvoday’ held here.
Between 1951 and 1964, Vinoba Bhave gathered more than 42 lakh acres of land from all over the country for distribution among farmers. During this period, he moved round the country on foot to popularise Bhoodan movement so that the real farmers would not remain landless. And the productive would increase manifold due to proper utility, Dr Das recalled.
“In Odisha 6,38,706 acres of land were collected from landlords and people with excess land. But out of it 58,722 acres of land could not be distributed as on today,” lamented Dr Das. He further said farmers are yet to get right over those land distributed through the Bhoodan movement, almost six decades back. Mutation of such lands is yet to be done.
He said those who had donated land took it back and farmers turned landless again. “Hence, this is high time to materialize the dream of Vinoba Bhave again by giving back the land to the farmers. And for this another peaceful movement is required,” he said.
Dr Das further said the Odisha Sarvoday Samaj would work to bring Maoists back to the mainstream. For this, the Odisha Sarvoday Samaj will move in the Maoist-infested areas and urge them to adopt Mahatma Gandhi path, which is the solution for all major problems of the country. Similarly, it would also appeal the state government to give up oppressive attitude on Maoists, he said.
Eight Bhoodan activists who were associated with Vinoba Bhave, Jayram Jena, Upendra Mohapatra, Santi Das, Mukteswar Pradhan, Sarojini Das, Bhagabat Prasad Nanda and Rajendra Das, were felicitated on this occasion. Noted social activist Bhagabat Prasad Nanda coordinated the programme.