Punjab farmers lodge stir against stubble FIRs

The agitating farmers demanded the withdrawal of legal cases and fines imposed on farmers for burning crop residue

Farmer bodies in Punjab protested outside the offices of deputy commissioners (DCs) and subdivisional magistrates (SDMs) in several districts on Monday, seeking withdrawal of cases registered in connection with stubble burning and demanding a long-term solution for paddy straw.

Members of a farmers’ organisation stage a protest in Patiala on Monday. (ANI)

The call for the four-hour protest was given by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha and 18 other farmer bodies. The agitating farmers demanded the withdrawal of legal cases, including FIRs registered against farmers. They also demanded the government to withdraw the fines imposed on farmers for burning crop residue.

The protests came a day before the Supreme Court is expected to hear the air pollution case. During the last hearing on November 7, the SC sternly directed the governments of Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana to take immediate steps to stop stubble burning in the state, which the court said was one of the major contributors to air pollution in Delhi-NCR.

According to the Punjab government data, the state had registered 1,084 FIRs in connection with stubble burning and imposed ₹1.87 crore in fine in 7,405 cases since November 8. The state has reported 35,093 farm fires this harvest season so far. The farmers brought trolleys laden with stubble with them to register their protest against the action initiated by the state government to prevent stubble burning.

Farm union leaders also handed over memorandums of their demands to the district authorities.

SKM leader Kaka Singh Kotra, who is also state general secretary of the Ekta Sidhupur faction of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, said the paddy growers were not getting any financial support from the government for managing stubble. “Farmers are forced to burn stubble as the Punjab government has failed to provide support for residue management. We oppose actions being taken by the authorities against farmers,” said Kotra.

Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher said demonstrations were held at 34 places in the state. He demanded that penalties imposed on farmers be withdrawn and sought a long-lasting solution for managing stubble. In Sangrur, BKU (Ekta)-Azad and BKU (Ekta)– Sidhupur activists led the protest. They demanded higher compensation for farmers for their land acquired for the Delhi–Amritsar–Katra expressway under the Bharatmala project, Jaswinder Singh Longowal, president of BKU (Ekta) -Azad), said, “Government is registering FIRs and making red entries in revenue records, but is providing no solution.”

The Doaba region — comprising districts of Jalandhar, Kapurthala, SBS Nagar and Hoshiarpur — also reported widespread protests by farmer groups.Manjit Singh Rai of Doaba Kisan Sangarsh Committee said that the state government has resorted to arm-twisting tactics.

In Ludhiana, protesting farmers were not allowed to enter the city. Two groups of farmers were stopped at Verka Milk Plant Chowk and near the Sangowal village, respectively.

In Hoshiarpur, led by Harpal Singh Sangha, the president of Azad Kisan Committee-Doaba, farmers submitted a memorandum to the district deputy commissioner. The protesters said 75-80% pollution was caused by industry and vehicles. But the action was being taken against farmers, they said.