A massive protest march involving tens of thousands of India's poorest people came to an abrupt halt Thursday, short of its New Delhi destination, after the central government agreed to introduce a national policy to give land to the landless.
The Ministry of Rural Development has agreed to craft the policy with the help of the march's organizers, particularly non-profit group Ekta Parishad. An agreement between the government and the march organizers includes promises by the Ministry to draft this policy in the next four to six months and to pressure states to protect land rights of lower classes and set up fast-track courts to deal with land issue.
Nearly 200 millio n Indians live in illegal slums, according to the United Nations, where they face eviction and constant disruption. Tens of millions more in rural areas don't own the land they farm or live on.
Read the full agreement between the Ministry and the march organizers.
