Policy reunites Punjab farmers, tractor rally to set the tone
Fearing that the policy means they could lose their land, farmers and even those not associated with unions are turning to farm groups to lead the opposition to the policy that envisions state govt taking possession of land by paying Rs 1 lakh a year and developing it into a residential-commercial zone, and returning booths and residential plots to the landowner.
The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) — which had spearheaded the 2020-2021 farm stir on the borders of Delhi — has also okayed the decision of its Punjab chapter to hold tractor marches on July 30 in villages which could be affected by the policy.
A call for support to the protest by the national committee of the farm forum Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) has also emboldened the SKM and farmers. Farmers have already started installing flex boards warning Aam Aadmi Party leaders and govt officials from entering their land to promote the policy. Many villages have started coming up with resolutions against the scheme, and it has been learnt that opposition has reached over 100 villages in the state.
Though the biggest chunk of land is to be collected in Ludhiana district, small tracts have been identified in Bathinda, Moga, and Ferozepur districts too.
In Bathinda, farmers in three villages — Jodhpur Romana, Naruana, and Patti Jhuttika — have already sounded a bugle of protest as 848 acres of land has been identified there under the policy. In Jodhpur Romana, the identified land is nearly 600 acres. Farmers from Jodhpur Romana village attended a meeting convened by farm organisations affiliated with SKM on Saturday and announced their plan to agitate and participate in tractor marches on July 30.
Apart from tractor marches by SKM, some other organisations have decided to hold protests at DC offices on July 31. On that day, farm leader Balbir Singh Rajewal is scheduled to address a gathering on land pooling at Lehragaga in Sangrur. "We are determined to oppose the land pooling scheme and do not want to part with our fertile lands. We will go to any length to stop our land from being taken forcibly, and for this, we have approached farmer organisations," said Jodhpur Romana farmers Karnail Singh and Balwant Singh in the presence of farmer organisation BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) secretary Shingara Singh Mann.
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