Hardik Patel likely to break his indefinite fast soon
Ahmedabad, Sep 9 : Firebrand Patidar agitation spearhead Hardik Patel is likely to break his fast in a day or two following the advice of veteran political leader and former Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav, according to sources close to Patel.
Yadav, besides DMK stalwart A. Raja, was among those who called on fasting Patel in the hospital on Saturday.
On the insistence of Yadav, the 25-year-old Patel started taking water which he had stopped since Thursday evening after the deadline for the ultimatum issued by the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) to initiate talks expired without any response from the Gujarat Government.
Patel has demanded debt waiver for the farmers, reservation benefits to the Patels and release of his PAAS co-convenor Alpesh Kathiriya being held under sedition charges.
Saturday was the 15th day of his indefinite fast which started on August 25 at his residence after the government refused him permission for a venue to stage his public protest.
After meeting Hardik Patel, Yadav told reporters that he had advised him to give up fast and recover his health to "stay fit for a long drawn battle" against the BJP governments in the state and at the Centre.
He advised him there was no meaning losing health by fasting when the farmers required a leader like him to stand up and fight for their cause.
He claimed that Hardik promised him to consider his suggestion and act positively. "Today, I offered him water and he took it, I am sure tomorrow he will agree to break the fast and resume normal life," Yadav said.
Meanwhile, the talks between a cabinet sub-committee and Naresh Patel, chief of the influential religious seat of Patidars, Khodaldham, and other Patidar community leaders mediating on behalf of Hardik and the PAAS, which was expected to be held on Saturday was deferred till Sunday.
Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Energy Minister Saurabh Patel, Revenue Minister Kaushik Patel and Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja had been tasked to talk to Naresh Patel on behalf of the government to negotiate on the issues of farm debt waiver, reservation formula and release of Kathiriya.
The state government sources, however, said there was no question of discussing the reservation issue as it was not possible under the constitution and the government had already appointed a commission to consider benefits on economic criteria for the people belonging to the non-reserved categories.
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Thiruvananthapuram: An article in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) mouthpiece Organiser has stated that the Catholic Church of India holds more land than the Waqf Board, which has long been believed to be the second-largest landowner in the country.
The article, titled "Who has more land in India? The Catholic Church vs Waqf Board Debate," as cited by The New Indian Express, challenges the commonly held view and asserts that the Catholic Church is the largest non-governmental landholder in India.
"For many years, there has been a common belief that the Waqf Board is the second largest landowner in India after the government, however, this claim does not align with the actual data on land ownership in the country. The Catholic Church of India holds the distinction of being the largest non-governmental landowner, possessing vast tracts of land spread across the country,” the article stated.
The Church is said to own approximately 17.29 crore acres (7 crore hectares) of land, with an estimated value of Rs 20,000 crore.
The article further noted the significant influence of the Catholic Church in India’s real estate landscape, listing scores of schools, hospitals, nursing colleges, and other institutions under its management. “As of 2012, the Catholic Church has 2,457 hospital dispensaries, 240 medical or nursing colleges, 28 general colleges, 5 engineering colleges, 3,765 secondary schools, 7,319 primary schools and 3,187 nursery schools in the field of education and healthcare sector in the country. Much of its land was acquired during British rule. In 1927, the British administration passed the Indian Church Act, facilitating large-scale land grants to the Church," it added.
However, the Organiser article also raised contentious issues, alleging that some of the Church's land acquisitions might have been questionable. It suggested that the Church’s charitable services, particularly in education and healthcare, could be a way of luring economically disadvantaged individuals into converting to Christianity, with some reports claiming that tribal and rural landowners were coerced into converting in exchange for Church-run services.
“Several cases have surfaced where tribal lands, once belonging to indigenous communities, were gradually transferred to Church authorities under various pretexts," the article stated.
This published write-up comes at a time when BJP leaders, particularly in Kerala, are celebrating the passing of the Waqf Amendment Bill, which they have described as a "gift" to the Munambam protesters, who are led by the Catholic Church.
Interestingly, Organiser has deleted the article after it was published.
