Farmers burn Punjab Govt's effigy over land pooling policy

A number of farmers, led by the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, gathered outside the office of the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) here today to protest against the state's land pooling policy. The protesters burnt an effigy of the Bhagwant Mann-led state government and submitted formal objections against the policy.

Farmers whose land is marked to be acquired expressed strong opposition to the policy and demanded its immediate withdrawal. They claimed that no farmer was willing to hand over their land to the government under the current terms.

Sarwan Singh Pandher, state leader of the committee, urged farmers to participate in the upcoming protests in large numbers, including a motorcycle rally on August 11 and a mass rally in Jalandhar on August 20, to intensify their resistance.

Around 60 farmers submitted objections at the PUDA office. Many of them hailed from Adliwal, Ladeh and Rajasansi villages.

Dilbagh Singh Gill, a farmer from Kotla village, said, “I have submitted my objection. I will not give my land at any cost. It is only source of our livelihood.”

Jaswant Singh from Rajasansi said, “We were never consulted for this policy. Now they are trying to acquire our land without our consent. It feels like we’re being pushed out of our own place.”

Some farmers from Gurdaspur district, who were among the protesters, alleged that the government was forcefully acquiring their land without consent, which they termed unjust and undemocratic.