Leese holder Punjabi formers being evicted in UP and Haryana

by A.S.Mahl

They were first uprooted from their ancestral lands in West Punjab due to political bankruptcy of the Sikh leaders. Yet these iron willed Punjabi farmers explored every available patch of barren land to turn it into lush green fields . Many of them settled in the Tarai area of UP Haryana MP and Rajasthan. These landless farmers many of them ex-army soldiers were given land on lease with varying time scales. In many cases the lease time is now over.

India as we know is osteneously a welfare state and has taken many steps in the past to rehabilitate such allotties. We know whenever a slum in the metropolities is cleared the dwellers are given alternate sites without any costs. ln many cases even quarters are built and allotted to evacuees. After this welfare measure there is always a prospective vote of consideration. ln many cases the Government provides free electricity to the dwellers as also the rations.

But the states have adopted a discriminatory policy towards the Punjabi farmers whose lease deeds have exhausted. They are being cruelly and brutally dispossessed of the lands. Several such reports have appeared in the Punjabi daily Ajit.

UP’s Mayawati government was first to dispossess the Punjabi farmers of their lush green farms. Mayawati saw that these lands were allotted to the local scheduled caste non-farming families. In many cases even dalit Sikhs have been ousted.

Haryanas Bansi Lal was the second to follow suit. In the Ajit daliy of Oct.S appeared reports of ousting of Punjabi farmer from the Pehowa area of Haryana. Ironically the farmers have not been even allowed to harvest the standing paddy fields. Apathy of the government is further evident from the fact that these unfortunate farmers are even willing to pay the price of the land they are being outsted from. This welfare state of India ! .