Which organisation organized the Jansatyagrah Yatra in 2012 to achieve peoples' control over land and livelihood?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 3:

Ekta Parishad is the correct organization that organized the "Jan Satyagraha 2012: March for Justice" to champion the cause of land rights and livelihood security for the landless and marginalized people of India. This massive, non-violent *padyatra* (foot march) began in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, and culminated in Agra, where an estimated 50,000 landless people participated, demanding control over land, water, and forest resources. The primary objective was to pressure the government to implement existing land reform commitments and the Forest Rights Act, 2006, effectively granting land titles to the rural poor. The leadership of P.V. Rajagopal, the founder of Ekta Parishad, was central to this mobilization, successfully drawing national and international attention to the plight of the landless. This demonstration of mass non-violent direct action resulted in a signed agreement with the Government of India, committing to the establishment of a Task Force on Land Reforms, marking a significant victory in the ongoing struggle for social justice and equitable resource distribution.

The incorrect option is 1:

The Gandhi Peace Foundation (GPF) is an organization dedicated to the study and promotion of the ideals and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, focusing primarily on peace and non-violence. While the GPF's president, Radha Bhatt, was associated with the movement and marched in the Jan Satyagraha 2012, the organization itself was not the principal organizer or mobilizer of the *yatra*. Its role is more academic and supportive of Gandhian principles, rather than leading mass, direct-action movements for specific land rights legislation, which is the specialized focus of Ekta Parishad. Therefore, attributing the organization of the 2012 Jansatyagrah to the Gandhi Peace Foundation is inaccurate, as their operational focus lies in preserving and disseminating Gandhian thought rather than political mobilization for land reforms.

The incorrect option is 2:

Samajwadi Jan Parishad is a political party in India that adheres to socialist principles, but it was not the organizer of the 2012 Jansatyagrah. This organization is a minor political entity, often participating in electoral politics and various social struggles, but the specific campaign for land rights in 2012 was a mass social movement initiated and orchestrated by a non-political social organization. Although political parties or organizations with similar ideologies might express solidarity with or participate in such marches, the leadership and operational capacity for coordinating a sustained, national-level *padyatra* of this scale, specifically focusing on land and livelihood rights for the ultra-poor, rested with Ekta Parishad.

The incorrect option is 4:

The Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) is a well-known non-governmental organization in India, highly active in Rajasthan and primarily recognized for its pioneering work on the Right to Information (RTI) movement and minimum wage enforcement. While the MKSS is deeply committed to the rights of laborers and farmers (*Mazdoor* and *Kisan*), and shares ideological ground with other social movements, it was not the organization responsible for planning and executing the Jan Satyagraha 2012. The geographical and thematic focus of MKSS is distinct from the national land reform campaign mounted by Ekta Parishad in 2012, which involved marching across Madhya Pradesh and negotiating with the central government.