40 days on, Ferozepur farmers protest over tilling rights across barbed fencing

Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, August 21

The farmers protesting under the banner of the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur) for the last 40 days against the imposition of Section 145 on a chunk of land along the India-Pakistan border today refused to cremate the body of their companion Mahinder Singh of Bhamba Hazi village in Mamdot.

The protesters claimed that they had been stopped from entering their fields situated across the barbed fencing. The farmers said they had been tilling this land since 1989 when barbed fencing was erected along the border and in some cases when they migrated from Pakistan.

Gurmeet Singh Ghorechakk, district chief, BKU (Ekta Sidhupur), said, “Mahinder suffered a heart attack after he was stopped from entering his fields across the fencing.” He said hundreds of farmers were bearing the brunt of injustice being meted out to them by the state government, adding that certain AAP leaders wanted to grab the land.

Ranjit Singh, a farmer, said, “On the instructions of the BSF and security agencies, we cleared the barren land of wild growth and made it fertile.”

Following the dispute over tilling rights of around 880 acres of land in DT Mall area, the SDM had imposed Section 145 due to which the farmers were not able to cultivate the land which belonged to the provincial government.

Later, when the land was being auctioned for farming purpose, the farmers accused the ruling party leaders of trying to usurp the land by giving them to their own henchmen in a clandestine manner.

Gursewak Singh Dhaliwal, block head, BKU (Ekta Sidhupur), said, “The farmers are being harassed by the BSF and other agencies on the pretext of security. Even the state government has pushed us to the brink, where we have no other option but to protest.”

Balwinder Singh, another farmer, demanded that they should be provided the ownership rights and the stringent conditions for farming across the fencing should be relaxed.

The government should also give compensation to the family of deceased farmer Mohinder, who died during the ongoing protest, said Jagdish Lal.

Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Dhiman said the matter pertaining to imposition of Section 145 on the land was sub judice. He said the land belonged to the provincial government so they had little in hand. “The matter will be taken up with the higher authorities and hopefully, will be resolved soon,” he added.