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The protesters said the 2013 land law guarantees higher compensation and rehabilitation for rural land acquisition, provisions they claim have not been followed in their case.
Farmers protesting for their land rights (Credits: X)
Wrapping banana leaves around their naked bodies and teak leaves around their heads and raising slogans, the farmers of Madhya Pradesh affected by the Pangri Dam project in Burhanpur district chose a unique way to protest for fair compensation.
The demonstration was meant to draw attention to what the farmers describe as years of neglect by the authorities. They said their demand is simple: compensation at double the market value for land acquired in rural areas, as provided under the Land Acquisition Act, 2013.
The protest, which was organised in a Gandhian spirit of non-violence, followed over three years of sit-ins, memorandums and peaceful agitations. Despite repeated appeals to the administration, the farmers said their claims have remained unresolved.
According to the protesters, the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Act, 2013 clearly provides for enhanced compensation and proper rehabilitation when agricultural land in rural areas is acquired for public projects. They argued that these provisions have not been honoured in their case.
The farmers are naked on the ground and Mohan Yadav is engrossed in the event. In Burhanpur, my farmer brothers are having to wake up the sleeping Mohan Sarkar by becoming half naked.
Compensation for the land acquired by these farmers in the Pangri Irrigation Project is pending for the last three years. Land Acquisition Act 2013… pic.twitter.com/6LTtrucvf9
— Jitendra (Jitu) Patwari (@jitupatwari) January 9, 2026
The farmers also cited constitutional safeguards, invoking Article 21, which guarantees the right to life with dignity, and Article 300A, which protects the right to property. They said land cannot be taken without transparency, consent and fair compensation.
Dr Ravi Kumar Patel, who is leading the agitation, accused the government of trying to reduce its legal responsibilities. He warned that if the administration continued to ignore the farmers’ demands, the protest would be intensified, and the authorities would be responsible for any escalation, according to a report by the NDTV.
Meanwhile, the protest also coincided with a visit to Burhanpur by the district’s in-charge minister and Water Resources Minister Tulsiram Silawat. Responding to the protest, Silawat said the government was “seriously considering” the farmers’ demands.
Madhya Pradesh, India, India
January 09, 2026, 10:17 IST
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