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Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
HC stays land pooling policy: Aug 16 protest on, says SKM
Farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) announced a rally on August 16 at Baba Bakala in Amritsar against the Punjab government's land pooling policy. Speaking at the 'Zameen Bachao Rally' held at the grain market of Jodhan village in Ludhiana, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal said this is not just about land, it's about the future of Punjab and its people. (HT File) The announcement came on the day when the Punjab and Haryana high court ordered an interim stay on the operation of the policy but the farm unions insisted that the court's order will not alter their programme. Speaking at the 'Zameen Bachao Rally' held at the grain market of Jodhan village in Ludhiana, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal said this is not just about land, it's about the future of Punjab and its people. 'The government wants to take away our fertile land to give it to big companies. The government had taken land in the past, too, promising development and compensation, but never fulfilled those promises. As a result, many families were left without land or money and had to work as labourers to survive. The protest at Baba Bakala on August 16 will be a warning to the Punjab government to roll back the land pooling policy,' Dallewal said. Supinder Singh Bagga, district president of BKU (Ekta), said that despite the stay by the HC, the union will continue their protest. 'There is no change in the programmes announced by the union,' he added. Dallewal said over 65,000 acres of farmland, which supports the livelihood of lakhs of people and provides food for crores across India, are at risk. 'The construction of concrete jungles in the name of development will not only displace farmers but also contribute to food insecurity and economic disaster,' he added. The veteran farm leader, who had spearheaded the SKM protests at Khanauri and Shambhu borders and had sit on a fast-unto-death, said that the farm unions will also intensify stir against the Centre to press for their key demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP), full loan waivers, justice for the Lakhimpur Kheri victims, withdrawal of the free trade agreements, and the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report. 'As a precursor to this, farmers will hold meetings on August 10 in Panipat, Haryana, on August 11 in Ganganagar, Rajasthan, on August 12 in Hanumangarh, Rajasthan, on August 14 in Itarsi, Madhya Pradesh, on August 15 in Ashok Nagar, Madhya Pradesh and on August 16 in Baba Bakala, Amritsar. Following these, mahapanchayats will be held in Uttar Pradesh on August 17, 18, and 19. After that, on August 25, people from across India will gather in Delhi to raise their voices for their rightful demands, under the call given by SKM (Non-Political) Bharat,' Dallewal said. The August 25 protests in Delhi will remind the central government of its failed promises and make it clear that the farmers' movement is far from over, he added. He accused the Punjab government of betraying farmers and misleading them. On March 19, Punjab Police cracked down on farmers, detaining their leaders in Mohali when they were returning from a meeting with a central delegation in Chandigarh. Following this, the Punjab Police cleared the year-long blockades on the national highways by farmers at the inter-state borders at Shambhu and Khanauri. Cong welcomes HC stay, demands CM's resignation Chandigarh : The Punjab Congress on Wednesday welcomed the Punjab and Haryana high court's decision to stay the Land Pooling Policy of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, calling it a 'victory for the people of Punjab' and a vindication of farmers' concerns. While hailing the court's intervention, the Congress also demanded the resignation of chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann for attempting to impose an 'anti-farmer and unconstitutional' policy. State Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said, 'We welcome the stay and salute the strong resolve of Punjab's people, especially our farmers.' Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa called the HC's stay a 'historic victory' and accused the Mann government of attempting to circumvent the Land Acquisition Act, 2013.
Time of India
24-07-2025
- Time of India
3 years on, Zira vows to continue fight against distillery pollution
Bathinda: A fight for the permanent closure of a distillery and ethanol project accused of spreading air and water pollution completed three years in Punjab's Ferozepur district on Thursday, an occasion that was marked with a religious ceremony and a resolve to continue the protest. Under the banner of 'Sanjha Zira Morcha', residents of villages around Malbros International Private Limited in Mansoorwal Kalan, near Zira, Ferozepur, vowed not to give up till the unit was shut down. Representatives from various social, labour, and farmer organisations, including farm leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal and jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh's father, Tarsem Singh, gathered in solidarity and assured continued support for the cause. The protest was launched on July 24, 2022. "After detecting the smell of undistilled liquor while digging a borewell at the nearby village of Mahiyawal Kalan on July 17, 2022, residents suspected the distillery was disposing of its waste into groundwater through reverse boring. Samples were collected on at least two occasions, and a team from Central Pollution Control Board and Punjab govt-appointed committees found toxic substances in the water around the distillery," said Roman Brar, a member of the Sanjha Zira Morcha. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Indonesia: New Container Houses (Prices May Surprise You) Container House | Search ads Search Now Undo "The chief minister assured action but we are still awaiting written orders to permanently shut down the unit," he added. Parameters concerning toxic substances, including lead, chromium, arsenic, polychlorinated biphenyls, and phenolic compounds (undesirable in excessive amounts), were found in the water samples, with values above permissible limits set by the Indian standards for drinking water. High concentrations of volatile fatty acids were found in soil samples. Acting on the CPCB report, the Punjab Pollution Control Board filed a case at the court of Ferozepur chief judicial magistrate under Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. It led to a search operation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at seven locations related to Malbros International Private Limited on July 16, 2024, in relation to money laundering cases pertaining to environmental crime under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. With the case now being heard in the National Green Tribunal, the protest since the last one year has become more symbolic with less physical presence at the site — the industrial unit. MSID:: 122880704 413 |
New Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Farmers to protest India-US trade deal in Delhi on August 25
BENGALURU: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) announced that a nationwide farmers' rally will be held in Delhi on August 25 to protest against the proposed India-US trade agreement, and to press for key farmer demands. The decision was taken at the National Executive Council meeting and the state-level farmers' conference. State Sugarcane Growers Association state president Kuruburu Shanthakumar said, 'One of our core demands is a guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all farmers. Currently, the MSP is merely announced for namesake and most farmers do not actually receive it. This is a grave injustice.' Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who undertook a 130-day hunger strike, demanding MSP legislation, warned against the implications of the proposed India-US trade deal. 'This is less an agreement and more an imposition. The government plans to import agricultural goods like genetically-modified (GM) maize and soybean, while weakening local procurement systems. Such policies threaten not only farmers, but also public health and food security.' He pointed out that the import of poultry and dairy products could severely impact domestic producers and violate cultural and religious sensitivities, particularly due to non-vegetarian dairy practices abroad.
The Hindu
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Extricate farmers from debt burden, scrap tariff agreement, SKM (NP) tells Centre
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) has urged the Central and State governments to safeguard farmers from the global trade dynamics, in the context of the tariff issue with the US, and to extricate them from debt burden. During the State-level Mahasabha organised at Perur here on Saturday in observance of Martyrs' Day by Narayanasamy Naidu Farmers' Association, speakers from across the country cautioned that India's acceptance of the tariff rates on agricultural products specified by the US will drive farmers to end their lives in large numbers. Import of agricultural products at a higher cost will be disastrous for the country's farmers, they feared, seeking outright rejection of the tariff conditions by the Centre. Refusal to ensure Minimum Support Price has already suppressed the struggling farmers. Citing the instance of sugarcane, a farmer leader said though the cost of production is ₹4,300 per tonne, the governments were not prepared to accept the recommendation of the MS Swaminathan Committee and arrive at MSP. The debt burden of farmers due to inimical policies is driving the suicide rate, he said. The Central Government, instead of mitigating the crisis faced by farmers had waived ₹24 lakh crore debt due from corporates, the speakers lamented. Likewise, the participants assailed the DMK government's law on acquisition of farmland for industrial purposes, saying the move would turn farmers into refugees in their own land. Referring to the sacrifice of 13 farmers who had laid their lives to secure electricity for agriculture, president of the Coordination Committee of All Farmers' Associations of Tamil Nadu and State Coordinator of the SKM (NP) P.R. Pandian expressed grave concern over the purported move by the State government to withdraw the free power at the insistence of the Union government. National convenor of SKM (NP) Jagjit Singh Dallewal took part and spoke as special guest. Over 13 leading leaders from various States including Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan took part in the Mahasabha. They warned that the difficulties faced by farmers were bound to reflect on the 2026 State Assembly election. eom/rkm/
Indian Express
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Dallewal sticks to earlier stand, says ‘no talks with Centre if Punjab is involved'
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) on Wednesday stuck to its earlier stand and announced that talks with the Centre regarding the minimum support price will take place only if the ministers and officials of Punjab are not involved. SKM leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who was on a fast unto death demanding minimum support price for all 23 crops, said the Punjab government will not be involved in the talks with the Centre. The morcha had refused to participate in the meeting to be held on May 4, saying that they will not attend the meeting with the ministers and officials of the Punjab government. The morcha had put this precondition to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan. The Agriculture Minister appealed to the farmer leaders to reconsider their decision, saying that the country has a federal structure and the state governments have an important role. Dallewal said that due to the Indo-Pak war in between, they could not take the dialogue forward. SKM will soon write a letter to the Centre seeking resumption of dialogue. Dallewal was talking to media persons to give details of the money spent during the movement that lasted more than a year and to talk about the future strategy of the movement. Dallewal said that the Punjab government had ended their movement by deceit. 'Tractors, trolleys and other goods worth lakhs of rupees of our farmers have been damaged. We will not participate in talks with such ministers and officials.' He said that the issues have to be resolved by the Centre, so the talks will also be held directly with them. Farmer leaders said that the fight for MSP guarantee law is still incomplete. SKM (non-political) will continue the struggle to take this fight to victory. He told that a huge Kisan Mahapanchayat is being organised in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, on July 5 on the issue of MSP guarantee law. He said that notices of cases registered against farmers during the agitation on Shambhu, Khanauri and Ratanpura fronts are being sent to the farmers. He threatened that if the Haryana government does not withdraw those cases then another programme will be announced in the national meeting of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) to be held in Bangalore on July 6. Farmer leaders said that a state-level conference will be organised on the issue of MSP in Bangalore on July 7 in which all the senior leaders of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) will participate. He said that the land which is being acquired by the Punjab government in every district of the state under the Land Pooling Scheme is part of a big conspiracy to snatch land, but they will not let the government snatch even an inch of land from the farmers. He said that during the movement, from February 13, 2024 to March 18, 2025, the Khanauri Morcha platform received financial help of Rs 34,32,567 from the public. During the same period, Khanauri Morcha incurred an expenditure of Rs 37,65,539. Farmer leaders said that on February 21, 2024, the police vandalised the tractors and vehicles of the farmers, on the repair of which the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) spent Rs 8,98,654.
