With Mattewara morcha's victory, green concerns take centre stage

Tribune News Service

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, July 11

The Punjab Government’s decision to scrap the textile park at the Mattewara Forest in Ludhiana has come in the wake of one of the most successful protests mobilised over an ecological cause in Punjab in recent times. The victory of the Mattewara morcha on Sunday signifies a growing concern for the state’s ecology and waters.

A number of farm and other oganisations from Doaba registered their presence at the morcha. Farmers unions are unanimous in their opinion that the next big protest in the state will be for waters. While a meeting of various farmer unions in this regard was also held at Ludhiana today, the protest has already been announced by farmers on the call of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) in July-end.

Manjit Rai, president, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Doaba), who attended the morcha yesterday, said: “Water is the foremost concern of the farmers at the moment. The victory of the Mattewara morcha signifies the sentiment on the issue. We will soon hold an agitation specifically to demand our right for water. A meeting in this regard was held at Ludhiana today. In Doaba too, it is an important issue. There is a systematic contamination of state waters and Doaba itself has been demanding a larger share in state waters.”

Sukhdev Singh Phagwara, activist, Alliance of Sikh Organisations (who was also present at the Mattewara morcha yesterday), said: “The massive response to save a verdant forest is a resounding victory for ecological concerns in the state. The angst of Punjab got channelised for the cause to save historic forests. It is evident people are more aware of their ecological rights and riparian rights. The Public Action Committee’s leadership and their invitation to all also played a decisive role in the Morcha’s success.”

Balwant Singh Raju, president, Majha Kisan Sangharsh Committee, said, “Farmers are fed up of the government’s dilly dallying on the issue of waters. On July 31, the farmers’ protest will address issue of riparian rights as well.”

Want right to clean water

Our upcoming protests will be for farmers’ right to clean water for irrigation. We want surface water treated and rainwater channelized for irrigation. We also do not want groundwater being wasted either. But first groundwater polluters need to be brought to book. Manjit Rai, president, BKU (Doaba)

Can’t ignore issues anymore

The Mattewara morcha’s victory signfies a ‘siyasi bechaini’ (political restlessness) in the state. It is clear that ecology and water are becoming mainstream issues and will have to be given prominence by parties in their political discourses. Sukhdev Singh Phagwara, activist

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