Farmers protest for land rights, livelihood security
In response to a state-level call by various farmers’ organisations, a large protest was held today. Led by local leaders and farmer union representatives, the demonstrators submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, addressed to the Chief Minister. Their primary demands focused on halting forced evictions and ensuring proper implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
The protesters highlighted the urgent need to provide land to landless families, particularly those displaced by natural disasters. Farmer leaders demanded that each economically weaker farming family be allotted at least five bighas of land, with immediate steps for regularisation.
The memorandum urged the authorities to: Direct officials to accept and process all claims under the Forest Rights Act; reconstitute and activate Forest Rights Committees in villages; ensure regular Gram Sabha meetings for monitoring forest rights; allocate two biswa land in rural areas and three biswa land in urban areas to all landless individuals as per state policy; and stop evictions from residential sites until proper land allocation is completed.
Another major issue raised was the eviction of small vendors selling food, fruits and vegetables along roadsides beyond highway boundaries. Protesters demanded an immediate halt to these evictions and called for a comprehensive livelihood policy in the upcoming state budget, aimed at protecting vendors and enhancing state revenue.
Additionally, farmers reiterated demands for four times compensation for land acquired, in line with the 2013 Land Acquisition Act. They urged the government to annul the revised, reduced circle rates implemented after 2019 and update them fairly. Protesters also demanded the expeditious special mutation of land allocated under various government schemes, which has been delayed due to bureaucratic hurdles.
Beyond agrarian concerns, the demonstrators condemned the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, criticising the central government for a major security lapse. Farmer leaders accused the government of attempting to divert attention from its failures by fostering communal tensions. They demanded a judicial inquiry into the attack and strict action against those responsible.
Key figures at the protest included Mahender Rana (State Committee Member, Himachal Kisan Sabha), Suresh Sarwal (President, Naujawan Sabha), Veena Vaidya (President, Women’s Committee), Rajesh Sharma (District Secretary, CITU), and activists like Ramesh Guleria, Gopender, Sunita, Reena, Rehana, Leelawati, and Bhavna.
The protest underscored the deepening unrest among farmers over land rights, displacement, economic hardships and governance failures.
