Bharatmala project: Farmers’ union up in arms over detaining of protesters in Ludhiana

Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) organised a state-level protest at Kot Aga village on Sunday against the administration and police for detaining farmers, including women, who were opposing low compensation for acquisition of land under the Bharatmala project on Saturday.

The farmers had registered their dissent by irrigating the land which was meant to be acquired by the government. Farmers from Kalakh, Daka, Dehlon, Kot Aga and other villages alleged that the police along with officials of the administration destroyed their rice crop and when they objected to it, they were detained.

Addressing the gathering, state president of Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) Joginder Singh Ugrahan said that the major highways which are being planned under the project are for the betterment of farmers and labourers, but to facilitate cheap and easy transportation of goods of big corporates. He added that the government is trying to snatch land from farmers and deprive them of their bread and butter for meagre prices.

“We will not allow any government or non-government agency to snatch even an inch of land belonging to farmers of the region until the owners are paid adequate compensation,” said Ugrahan, arguing that the price of agricultural land should not be calculated in terms of simple market value.

Opposing the acquisition of land for the Delhi – Katra Express Highway, farmers of the region had blocked various roads earlier too. The administration had tried to take physical possession of acquired land with massive security arrangements in place on Saturday, where the Dehlon Police had detained the protestors and later released them.

Protestors, including owners of land in question, had been invited by the administration for talks. However, the union chose to organise a dharna.

Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Rajesh Sharma said that no untoward incident was reported from the protest site on Sunday.