Scrapping of land pooling policy in Punjab seen as victory of farmers

The decision of the AAP-led Punjab Government to withdraw the contentious land pooling policy is being seen as a major victory for farmer unions and opposition parties that had launched a sustained agitation against the ruling dispensation.

Pointing out that the policy had been notified in haste and without addressing concerns, including social impact assessment and environment impact, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had recently granted interim stay, with the next date of hearing fixed for September 10.

The government had proposed the acquisition of 65,533 acres of land under the policy.

Meanwhile, with Assembly elections just 17 months away, the withdrawal of the policy has come as a major boost for the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella body of several farmer unions that had also spearheaded the protest against the Centre’s now-repealed three farm laws in 2020-21.

Not only the protests over the policy led to the mobilisation and resurrection of farm unions, it also gave an opportunity to the BJP to come on board with the farmers’ unions that, otherwise, did not see each other eye to eye over the now-repealed farm laws. It also helped the SAD and Congress mobilise its cadre and voters across the state.

Farm leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said motor cycle rallies taken out by the Kisan Mazdoor Sangarsh Committee (KMSC) today against the land pooling policy were an eye-opener for the ruling party.

“Though it a victory for the farmers, farm labourers and all other stakeholders, we still have doubts about the AAP government and it should categorically state that it had scrapped the policy and would not bring it again in any other form,” he said.

Another farm leader Dr Darshan Pal said already facing agrarian crisis, the government should have consulted farming experts and other stakeholders before coming up with the policy that affects the farmers. “We will wait till the government denotifies the policy. The policy has exposed the AAP party in Punjab,” he said.

Terming the flip-flop by the ruling party over the land pooling policy as the outcome of the interference by the Delhi-based leadership of the AAP, Congress state president Amarinder Raja Warring said now the state had announced to withdraw the policy that had been notified in a haste, it must hold the political leaders and officials responsible, who had been instrumental in framing the policy.

“Lakhs of rupees of the state exchequer had been spent on publicising the policy. People must be held accountable”, Warring demanded. Former Fatehgarh Sahib MLA Kuljit Nagra said it was the second major win for the farm unions against the decision imposed upon Punjabis by Delhi-based rulers.

The working Punjab BJP president said an attempt by Delhi-based land mafia to grab farmers’ land failed under immense public pressure. He said it was the joint victory of the Punjabis.

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal termed the decision of the AAP Government to scrap the scheme as a victory for all Punjabis. He said the land pooling policy was a way to grab land and the party had sought to collect Rs 30,000 crore from builders of Delhi to expand the party across the country.