Gujarat : Farmers of Godhavi Village Expose Land Acquisition Nexus for Olympics 2036

AHMEDABAD,GUJARAT : The peaceful village of Godhavi has erupted in protests as farmers reveal a link between the Gujarat government and powerful businesspeople over the acquisition of important farmland. The dispute centers on property acquisitions for the next Youth Olympics in 2029 and the Olympics in 2036.

Farmers from Godhavi, as well as neighboring villages Manipur and Garodia, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat have staged demonstrations and sent a memorandum to the Ahmedabad district collector, expressing their strong opposition to the acquisition. According to the farmers, the district collector issued a notification outlining the government’s 200-acre need for the Youth Olympics. However, the demand quickly rose to 1350 acres, sparking suspicions among the residents.

The farmers claim that private entities, such as Ganesh Housing Corporation Limited, Gatil Properties Private Limited, and the Vijayi Bharat Foundation, are pressuring them to sell their land. These private parties are apparently offering Rs 14,000 to Rs 16,000 per square meter, which is much less than the current market figure of Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 per square meter.

Harish Chandrasinh, a farmer from Godhavi “Parimal Nathwani, director of corporate affairs at Reliance Industries Limited, and Shekhar Patel of Ganesh Housing are pressuring us to sell our land at undervalued prices, threatening that the government will acquire the land for even less.”

According to interviews done by the YouTube news channel Navajivan News Prashant Dayal, government officials, commercial builders, and non-governmental trusts have allegedly formed a cartel to push farmers into surrendering their land. Farmers claim that this collaboration has already forced many to surrender their prized holdings under duress in recent years. Those who remain are now standing firm against what they regard as an illegitimate takeover.

According to documents revealed to The Blunt Times, Ganesh Housing Corporation Limited purchased land lots surrounding Godhavi and sold them to the Vijayi Bharat Foundation. Dhanraj Nathwani, Parimal Nathwani’s son, serves as a director of the Foundation, which was established in March 2023. Gatil Properties Private Limited has also sold major land to Vijayi Bharat Foundation, thus tying up the parties involved.

“They are offering us Rs 14,000 to Rs 16,000 per square meter, but land acquired for Rs 1 crore has been resold for Rs 18 crore,” stated a frustrated farmer. “Nathwani and Shekhar Patel attend meetings with farmers, insisting on selling for Rs 16,000 per square meter, while we demand Rs 40,000.”

Harish Chandrasinh further mentioned that land department officials, supported by police, paid frequent visits to the villages, which increased the pressure on them. “Initially, they required 300 acres, now they want 1350 acres,” he stated. “This is not a public project but a public-private partnership (PPP) model, which should not fall under public land acquisition rules.”

The Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Act of 2013 requires land to be acquired for public purposes. The farmers say that the Olympics do not qualify as such a project, and that the acquisition advantages corporate interests above the public.

The farmers of Godhavi and adjacent villages are nonetheless determined to safeguard their land from what they see as exploitation disguised as development. The unfolding events in Sanand Taluka cast light on bigger concerns such as land acquisition, government transparency, and farmers’ rights in the face of great economic forces. The situation remains tense as the villagers await a just resolution to their dilemma, underlining the critical need for ethical governance and accountability in development initiatives.

The Blunt Times made efforts to reach Parimal Nathwani’s office for their comments on the controversy, but they refused to comment on the issue.