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Rice farmers battle for their rights

Z.A.M. Khairuzzaman
RICE farmers of Koira upazila in Khulna district are now engaged in a battle for establishing their rights.
Hundreds of poor farmers have demanded immediate stoppage of leasing of government canals and water bodies to rich farmers for shrimp culture.
Over 500 farmers under the banner of Action Aid FoSHoL Krishok Moitree handed over a memorandum to Koira Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Aziz Pasha containing their eight points of
demands on June 5. A large number of women also took part spontaneously. They submitted the memo containing over 500 signatures in presence of local government leaders.
They also sent copies to secretaries of respective ministries, chairman of Bangladeah Human Rights Commission, chief executive of Bangladesh Environment Lawyers' Association (BELA), and respective divisional and district commissioners.
They asked the upazila administration to take immediate initiatives to ease their sufferings
caused by salinity due to massive shrimp culture by influential people in Bedkashi, Moharajpur and Mohesshory unions. They alleged that agricultural lands were being sacrificed for commercial shrimp farming. They said that the administration should create an environment so that they could cultivate paddy (Amon and Boro) twice each year.
Poor farmers have been protesting against rich farmers for destroying agricultural lands and causing water pollution in an 1,813 square kilometre area. They allege that shrimp culture is adding to the health problems of the people in the vicinity, thereby leading to destruction of agriculture and leaving vast numbers of farmers unemployed. At present, about 0.2 million inhabitants are struggling for better livelihood in the entire coastal upazila.
Koira upazila is the last border of the southern coastal belt beside the largest mangrove forest of Sundarbans. Here, several years ago, the entire area was lush and verdant. Once the lands were the source of livelihood of poor farmers. Poor farmers used to cultivate amon paddy utilising the fresh water of lots of canals in the upazila. Canal water was used for
indigenous fish culture and other homestead activities. Following the leasing of 132 public canals, rich farmers built temporary embankments around cultivable lands to ensure steady flow of saline water to 4,000 shrimp enclosures. Because of leasing, public property has become personal property of influential people. As a result, poor farmers have lost their right to cultivate paddy and other crops on the lands.
And now the entire area is looking like a desert. Now they lie useless.
The practice of shrimp culture is destroying land along the coasts, and causing water pollution. Shrimp culture has hastened the demise of indigenous fish. Right now shrimp farming is a slash-and-burn activity.
Violations»by rich farmers
Action Aid FoSHoL Krishok Moitree, a platform of farmers under JJS-FoSHoL, Action Aid project has been formed at Uttar Bedkashi in support of the just struggle of poor farmers.
Rich farmers established 4,000 shrimp enclosures, in violation of rules and regulations of the accord of lease. They have made holes illegally at many places of the coastal embankment built during the '60s to protect the area from salinity. The consequence of the blatant use, misuse and violations of existing rules have led to depletion and degradation of natural resources and land in the vicinity.
Poor farmers had launched an agitation in July 18, 2006 by organ-
ising a signature campaign at Mohesshory union. They collected 200 signatures and submitted their grievances to the local administration. Their demand was immediate stoppage of illegal diversion of saline water towards Vagbar canal by cutting an embankment. Again they collected signatures of 300 people with a demand to stop leasing of canals and water bodies. They ventilated their grievances to the administration on March 22 this year.
Farmers of Bedkashi and Moharajpur unions handed over memorandums to the administration on two occasions, once on April 16 and then on May 12 this year. One of their demands was stopping of diversion of saline water illegally to Fatakhali, Dewankhali, Putigheri, Pathorkhali and Arjunpur canals. Local communities also organised rallies and human chains in support of their demands.
Of late, a discussion on prevention of infiltration of saline water in Koira upazila was organised at Uttar Bedkashi Kutchurybari on June 5 this year. Action Aid, Manobadhikar Jote, Jagroto Jubo Sangha (JJS) and Loko Kendra jointly organised the discussion.
At the discussion, a participant repented for cultivating shrimp. His honest comment is as below:
"I have been engaged in shrimp culture for a long time. During this period, I observed the misery of people in my neighbourhood. The practice has created a negative
impact on agriculture, livestock and livelihood. So, I have decided to stop shrimp culture from the next season. From now on, I shall cultivate paddy in my field, and I advise other shrimp farmers to come back from the bad practice of shrimp farming."
Shrimp farming has been associated with serious negative envi-, ronmental and social impacts. Environmental problems include destruction of mangroves and other wetland habitats, associated damage to coastal and marine ecosystems, dispersion of chemicals and nutrients into the environment, pollution and salinisa-tion of soil and of ground and surface water supplies, depletion of ground water and depletion and biological pollution of indigenous fish.
Social impacts include promotion of poverty, landlessness and food insecurity, elevation of risks from floods and typhoons, and impacts on health and education.
Rice farmers are waiting for a response from the administration. They are protesting, and one thing is sure, they will not allow themselves to be victims of corporate crime committed by rich farmers.
The agitation has been going on for about two years, and yet no action has been taken to address the problems faced by the victims. However, Koira UNO has assured the agitating farmers that he would carry out an "enquiry into the matter."
Z.A.M. Khairuzzaman is a journalist of The Daily Star.