Jagmohan Thaken
In India, 69 percent population lives in villages, where most of the populace is associated with agriculture and allied activities, but snatching the agricultural land by the governments in the name of urban and industrial development leaves these Ruralites in the lurch with a stigma of landless, unsettled, and unemployed. However, the Governments claim that the agricultural land acquired for development purposes is acquired with the willingness of the farmers and they are given lucrative prices and benefits instead of the land acquired. If the government’s claims are true, then why do these farmers sit on roads to raise their voice against the land acquisition?
With the purpose of urban development and to curb illegal colonies by the land mafias in the state, which are growing in an unplanned and haphazard way, the Punjab cabinet on June 02 gave its nod to the new land pooling policy initially being launched in 27 cities and towns of the state. The government claims that the new policy involves landowners, promoters, and companies as stakeholders in the development process and one of the most emphasized features of the policy is its voluntary nature and no land will be taken without the farmer’s written consent in the form of a ‘No Objection Certificate (NOC)’. Policy states that the land owners will be given developed residential and commercial plots as per their eligibility, and until the farmers receive possession of the developed plots, the government will pay them an interim compensation of Rs 30,000 per acre annually for up to three years. The government is publicizing this policy as the most suitable and profitable one.
But here arises the question- if the new land pooling policy is so lucrative and beneficial for the farmers, then why is it being criticized by the farmer unions and opposition parties? Why are they warning the government to start agitation against it?
On July 4, a BJP delegation led by its National General Secretary Tarun Chugh and State President Sunil Jakhar met Honourable Punjab Governor Mr. Gulab Chand Kataria in protest against the land pooling scheme of the AAP government. The party claims that on this occasion, 625 farmers from 22 villages registered their opposition to this land pooling scheme by giving written representation. While talking to the journalist, BJP leaders said that the AAP party is openly looting farmers through this scheme, but the BJP will never let the AAP party succeed in its evil designs. This scheme will also be challenged in the courts.
Previously, also, stating the policy a “Ponzi scheme”, Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar, on June 30, had alleged that the land of the farmers is being seized by enticing them with false promises of four times the profit.
“This scheme has been designed to loot Punjab. Government officials are falsely claiming that farmers will not lose their land. Once a notification is issued, a farmer cannot even sell his land. If an owner cannot sell his land, isn’t this a violation of his rights?” Jakhar asked.
Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, president Punjab State Congress, @RajaBrar_INC on June 3 tweeted, “I wonder what is the need of acquiring 24000 acres of prime agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes. It will simply destroy Punjab’s economy, which is based on agriculture. Let me warn you, when you try to undermine the foundation of the economy, that is agriculture, the entire edifice will collapse and come crashing down.”
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, on July 01, had announced a series of protests to start from Ludhiana on July 15 to safeguard the interests of farmers whose 40,000 acres of land are set to be forcefully acquired for peanuts by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government under a 1995 State land acquisition act aimed at looting farmers and fillings its coffers.
Addressing a press conference, the SAD president said 40,000 acres of land in 158 villages were being acquired under a purported land pooling scheme, which was a land-grabbing scheme. “The AAP Delhi leadership wants to collect Rs 10,000 crore for the party. This is the reason they have decided to acquire 40,000 acres of land across the State under the Punjab Regional Town Planning and Development Act, 1995 instead of the central Land Acquisition Act, 2013”.
Punjab farmers are also anxious about their future fate, what will they do to bring their family after their agricultural land gets out of hand?
Sharing the resentment voice of the farmers, Angrej Singh Bhadaur, Press Secretary, Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta Dakonda, Punjab, quotes the concerns raised by the union – Was there any need to convert so much cultivable land into concrete jungles? Most of the land being acquired under government control is very fertile land that yields three crops a year. Land is such a fixed resource that its supply cannot be increased. Due to the construction of essential projects for urbanization and development, its quantity for agriculture is decreasing day by day. Already, more than 22,000 acres of fertile land in Punjab have been swallowed up by the Bharat Mala project, which Punjabis do not need at all. On the contrary, this project is going to become a tool for corporate loot of the people. How many plots, colonies, and constructed residential flats are already lying vacant in the cities? Are they not already more than the requirement, considering the current demand? This policy has not been brought to provide land for residential, commercial, or industrial purposes, but to create a land bank for corporations and land mafias.
The major point of concern is the displacement of the settled people. The farmers’ union doubts if this scheme is implemented indiscriminately, it will have many adverse effects on different sections of society. Villages will be depopulated, the culture associated with them will end; the agricultural profession will be wiped out; auxiliary businesses related to agriculture like animal husbandry, dairying, vegetable/fruit cultivation etc. will be closed; public interest government schemes like MNREGA will be closed; people doing non-agricultural occupations in villages like tailors, barbers, motor mechanics, small shopkeepers, confectioners, cobblers etc. will be displaced; what is more, this unnecessary urbanization will swallow the villages and become a reason for the displacement of the settled people.
The farmers’ union is looking at this scheme as the three black laws of agriculture. The union doubts that this issue has deep potential. If the government succeeds in grabbing land, then the villages will be displaced. But the union sees a silver lining in the way it is being opposed, and the farmer organizations are coming forward; the people of Punjab will succeed in giving a befitting reply to this attack.
