cIn defiance of police attempts to suppress the mobilisation, hundreds of farmers, workers, agricultural labourers and concerned citizens assembled in Haldwani’s Budh Park (Uttarakhand) on 27 May for the “Vishal Chetavni Rally” (Mass Warning Rally), organised under the banner of the All India Kisan Mahasabha (AIKM).
The rally was a bold response to the BJP-led government's systematic efforts to displace the working poor of Bagjala under the pretext of forest conservation and drainage projects. Protesters raised slogans demanding “Homes, Land, and Dignity,” and denounced the deliberate blockade of essential public amenities—such as roads, water pipelines, schools, electricity, and housing—in the region.
Speakers noted that while the state invokes the rhetoric of ‘development’ and ‘forest’ to justify repression, it simultaneously auctions off the fragile Himalayan landscape to private corporations, endangering both the environment and livelihoods for the sake of profiteering.
Despite decades of residence and cultivation, Bagjala’s residents are denied legal recognition and even the most basic services. “This is not just a question of land, it’s about survival, dignity, and the right to live,” declared Raja Bahuguna, CPI(ML) CCC member. “The BJP government runs bulldozers over people’s homes while refusing to build roads, toilets or schools.”
Indresh Maikhuri, State Secretary, CPI(ML) noted that “the Chief Minister of this state seems determined to uproot the poor. From the hills to the plains, the BJP government is systematically evicting the working class from their lands. This is not governance, it is a war on the poor.”
Demands Raised at the Rally:
1. Immediate lifting of all restrictions on public works, including road building, drinking water systems, and construction in Bagjala.
2. Official inclusion of Bagjala into the Haldwani municipal area.
3. Recognition of all settlements and homes through legal and electoral inclusion.
4. Immediate provisioning of healthcare, education, sanitation, and other essential services.
5. Independent investigation into local officials and politicians who have obstructed development.
6. A complete halt to forest department’s arbitrary demarcation until community-led resettlement is ensured.
“We are not encroachers,” said Vimla Devi, one of the leading organisers. “We are citizens. This land, this city, and this future belongs to us as much as it does to the rich.”
State Repression and the Stifling of Democratic Rights
The day of the rally witnessed brazen attempts by the police to sabotage the mobilisation, yet large numbers of people defied these obstacles to join the protest. Earlier, on 24 May, CPI(ML) and AIKM leaders conducting a peaceful campaign in Bagjala were met with a threatening display of state force.
Police personnel, acting without any formal prohibitory orders such as Section 144 (or its new variant, Section 163 under the BNSS), dismantled banners, issued threats to the campaigners, and attempted to brand this lawful democratic activity as illegal.
“The way the police and later local BJP leaders tried to obstruct and intimidate the campaign for the Chetavni Rally has been met with an inspiring response. The people of Bagjala turned out in large numbers, and all progressive forces stood united. This unity is a welcome and powerful message. The truth is this is a frightened government, trying to scare the people. But the only answer to their fearmongering is the fearless unity of the people,” said Purushottam Sharma, National Secretary of AIKM addressing the rally.
Chetavani rally was also addressed by comrades AIKM state president Anand Negi, High Court Bar Association President Durga Singh, popular CPIML leader Bhahadur Singh Jangi, Nainital district secretary Kailash Pandey, and advocate Kailash Joshi.
