Haryana Farmers Protest Land Acquisition, Talk Of "Mass Suicide": Report

A group of farmers protesting the acquisition of 1,810 acres of land in Haryana's Manesar region on Wednesday sought from the government "permission" for mass suicide, news agency PTI reported. 

Before submitting their memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav seeking permission for mass suicide, farmers surrounded the mini secretariat after a flag march from Rajiv Chowk.

The farmers have been protesting for more than 70 days demanding the government either stop the land acquisition or pay them compensation at the current market rate.

Members of the Kisan Samiti have decided to boycott all the leaders of the ruling BJP and JJP in 25 villages and will not allow them to enter their villages.

After the deputy commissioner assured them of conveying their demands to the government, the farmers returned to their protest site at Manesar.

Two days ago, in Chandigarh, Chief Minister Manohar Lal had called the farmers for talks. His proposal was, however, rejected by the farmers.

Notices for the acquisition of the land in Kasan, Khoh, Kukdaula and Sahrawan villages by the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) were issued in 2010.

"The government has become blind and is not ready to listen to the farmers ... Farmers will not take the compensation given by the government under any circumstances and if they take our lands then we are ready to lay down our lives for it," said farmer leader Roshan Lal.

"We have boycotted all the leaders of BJP and JJP in our 25 villages. Farmers will not allow their land to be occupied under any condition", said another farmer leader Rohtash Yadav.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)