Apple farmers threaten bandh against eviction

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 27

Leaders of the Himachal Kisan Sabha and Himachal Seb Utpadak Sangh Rakesh Singha and Dr Kuldip Tanwar today threatened to observe “Dehat Bandh” on September 2 if the state government did not stop the eviction drive by August 31.

Addressing the farmers, including women, who held a protest march near the Vidhan Sabha, Singha said the drive had hit poor and Dalit farmers hard.

The farmers, Mayor Sanjay Chauhan, Deputy Mayor Tikender Panwar, president of the Bagwan Kisan Sangh Ramesh and other farmers staged a dharna near the police anti-riot barricade for more than two hours. They raised anti-government slogans, blaming the Congress and BJP for the eviction drive in the state.

Singha said if the government could regularise illegal colonies in cities, why couldn’t it regularise lands occupied by the farmers in rural areas. The forest, revenue and police teams have uprooted farmers in Rohru, Theog, Anni and other areas. The farmers had lost their lands to natural disasters and had occupied less than 5 bighas, he said.

State Himachal Kisan Sabha president Dr Tanwar said if the state government did not take a decision on the issue, they would observe “Dehat Bandh” on September 2. The issue would be raised in the gram panchyat elections, he added.

The farmers met Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Leader of Opposition PK Dhumal to submit a memorandum.

The Chief Minister sought all inputs on the issue and assured the farmers that the government would take steps to work out a solution as he has already asked the Additional Chief Secretary, Finance and Revenue, to constitute a panel on land allotment.

Their major demands are amendment to the Forest Conservation Act, land allotment policy for the poor and marginal farmers in the state.