Orchardists protest land evictions outside secretariat

Hundreds of apple growers and farmers associated with the Himachal Kisan Sabha and the Himachal Seb Utpadak Sangh staged a protest outside the Himachal Pradesh Secretariat in Shimla, demanding an end to land evictions.

The protest was preceded by a rally from Talland to the Secretariat in Chotta Shimla. Heavy police deployment and barricades were in place, and a minor scuffle occurred when protesters attempted to breach the barricades. The demonstration disrupted traffic between Chotta Shimla and Sanjauli for several hours, causing inconvenience to commuters.

Addressing the gathering, Sanjay Chauhan, State Committee member of the Seb Utpadak Sangh, condemned the large-scale cutting of apple trees during the monsoon season. He warned that such actions increase the risk of landslides and soil erosion in the ecologically fragile and earthquake-prone state. Chauhan emphasized that apple orchards are vital not only for soil stability and biodiversity but also for the livelihoods of thousands of farmers across Himachal Pradesh.

Sohan Thakur, president of the Himachal Seb Utpadak Sangh, noted that despite the rain, hundreds of orchardists from across the state made it to Shimla, while many others were unable to attend due to landslide-induced road closures.

The protest was planned earlier this month in response to the Forest Department’s action against apple orchards on encroached forest land, based on a High Court directive. However, the Supreme Court has now stayed the High Court’s orders, providing temporary relief to the orchardists.