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Journalism of Courage
The grassroots resistance against Punjab’s controversial land pooling policy intensified Monday, with more protest boards appearing at village entry points across districts like Ludhiana and Hoshiarpur. This came a day after such boards were first seen in four villages of Jagraon Sunday night.
The banners, prominently featuring photos of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal, carry slogans “Bhagwant Mann Bhagao, Punjab Bachao”, “Kejriwal Bhagao, Zameen Bachao”. These boards, residents say, are a clear message to the government: in protest of the land pooling policy, no AAP leader is welcome in the village. Until the policy is repealed, no AAP leader is allowed to enter the village, they say. Interestingly, the location of boards in Hoshiarpur is towards the main road, thus having a wider presence.
The land pooling policy aims to promote urban development and limit the spread of illegal colonies. It allows landowners to voluntarily contribute their land for development, receiving developed residential and commercial plots in return.
On Monday, in Pur Hiran and Shergarh villages of Hoshiarpur, the police reached the spot while the boards were being installed and questioned residents about permission to erect them. The confrontation was brief but telling.
“We are putting up these boards on our own land — who needs permission for that?” asked Manjit Singh Rai, president of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) Doaba, adding that six boards have now been installed in these protesting villages.
“And if they try to remove them, we will take them straight to the DC and SSP offices. Farmers have erected these boards inside their own land, which has come under this policy,” he said. Rai himself owns six acres of land in Pur Hiran that has been marked under the land pooling policy.
In the Bhattian Dhaha village of Ludhiana, sitting sarpanch Ranjit Singh Bath, notably a member of the ruling AAP, personally led the installation of protest banners.
“If AAP leaders dare to enter our village, I will be the first to protest,” Bath told mediapersons, making it clear that party loyalty ends where farmers’ land begins.
These villages now join others like Malak, Aligarh, Pona, and Agwar Gujaran, which had put up similar boards a day earlier. According to Rai, the number of villages taking this route is increasing by the day.
Meanwhile, heated arguments were reported in Hoshiarpur as Punjab Police allegedly tried to forcibly remove the boards, triggering resistance from locals, said Guramneet Singh Mangat from Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.
“The Punjab government is sending police to remove these signs of protest, but they cannot suppress the pain of the farmers,” said Guramneet Singh Mangar of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM). “Panchayats and gram sabhas are passing resolutions against the policy.”
In a joint statement, KMM leaders warned the AAP-led government to “stop acting at the behest of the BJP and land mafia”, alleging a broader agenda to displace farmers under the guise of urban development.
“From tractors rolling on highways to now banners on village gates, Punjab’s farmers are amplifying their protest, with each new board representing not just dissent, but a defiant stand to protect land and identity,” said Balbir Singh Rajewal, national coordination committee member of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM).
