Why farmers are saying 'no' to Punjab government's land pooling scheme

A deep emotional bond with their land and a lack of trust in the government’s assurances are being cited as the primary reasons behind farmers’ refusal to part with their agricultural land under the state’s land pooling policy.

Former SAD leader and coloniser Manpreet Singh Ayali, whose 150 acres of land in three villages, including Birmi, Kialpur, and Dakha, fall under the land pooling scheme, strongly opposed the policy, stating, “The government may chop off my head, but I will never part with my land.”

Ayali emphasised that land is not just a physical asset but an identity for farmers.

“A farmer has an emotional attachment to his land and won’t give it up under any kind of pressure unless he voluntarily chooses to do so,” he said.

Sharing his experience as a coloniser, Ayali stated that when he acquires land from farmers, he compensates them generously—providing 8 to 10 times more land elsewhere, constructing homes for them, offering tractors, and fulfilling other needs.

“It is not easy for any farmer to part with his land. And the government thinks it can get it easily by promising Rs 50,000 per acre after a year? That’s not how it works,” he remarked.

Simran Singh Dakha, a young landlord who has returned from Canada to pursue farming on his ancestral land, echoed similar concerns.

“The Land Acquisition Act was designed to strip farmers of their rights. If I don’t sell, I’m restricted to farming only. If I give it to the government, I lose it for at least eight years. Who knows what will happen in the future? Land is everything for a farmer—why would he give it up for vague promises?” he questioned.

Jaswant Singh Issewal, a farmer owning 10 acres in Issewal village, also voiced strong opposition to the policy.

“No farmer will yield land under pressure, come what may. Small farmers will be destroyed. Women in our households are actively involved in dairy farming. If land is pooled, their livelihood is gone. Why should a farmer hand over his security to the government?” he said.

He added that landowners should have the right to decide how they want to use or sell their land. “It’s not the government’s prerogative,” he said. The sentiment resonates across villages affected by the policy, where distrust towards the government’s long-term promises and emotional attachment to land remain firm hurdles in implementing the scheme.