zamiin par mil lag jaane se maa baap ban jaayegii

Film: Do Bigha Zameen

Year of release: 1953

Spoken by: Thakur Harnam Singh (Murad)

Spoken to: Shambhu Mahato (Balraj Sahni)

Dialogue writer: Paul Mahendra

The land acquisition issue in India is a vexed issue. However a look at this classic reveals that not much has changed after 70 years of independence. The zamindar is probably replaced by the industrialist and/or the government. The attitude and the mindset is still feudal. What do poor farmers know about the economy? We are here to provide them succour and a better lifestyle. So they should just sell the land and leave. 

In fact the industrialist in this movie also tells the zamindar - "sarkaar ab zamiindaari ko to rehne nahin degi, phir industry hi ki taraf kyon na qadam baDhaaye jaaye Thakur saab". 

In this scene, some industrialists approach Thakur for acquiring a patch of land in the village after their efforts to buy fail. Thakur calls his Naib and asks him to check how much money Shambhu owes him and summon him for a meeting the next day. 

When Shambhu comes to meet him, after some small talk, Thakur casually tells Shambhu,

"le zara anguthe ka nishaan to lagaa de is kaagaz par"

Thakur then offers to pay some money apart from writing off the entire loan account of Shambhu Mahato. 

Shambhu is recalcitrant. He says,

"zamiin to kisaan ki maa hai huzoor... maa ko bech doon?"

A scornful Thakur retorts,

"abe rahne de zamiin par mil lag jaane se maa baap ban jaayegii

zamiin se tujhe kyaa miltaa hai, mil me mazdoori karke bhar peT khaayegaa. aaraam ki neend soyega"

"अबे रहने दे, ज़मीन पर मिल लग जाने से माँ बाप बन जायेगी"

Shambhu still persists,

"Hajoor peD ko matti se hataa kar sone mein lagaa den to kya vo bach saktaa hai?"

However I think you know what happens in the movie. It's not a Ramesh Sippy film with a cinematic shubham ending.