BKU (Mann) submits memorandum to Punjab and Haryana Governor: Farmers Oppose land acquisition bill

Chandigarh,  March 20, 2015: Bharti Kisan Union (Mann) (Punjab and Haryana) under the leadership of Bhupinder Singh Mann, Ex MP, National President BKU, Chairman All India Kisan Coordination Committee today submitted a memorandum to Prof Kaptan Singh Solanki, Governor of Punjab and Haryana with a request for his kind intervention for seeking justice on the issues of  farmers.  Mann also extended full support to the protest of Congress on March 24. He said that BKU will join the Vidhan Sabha gherao in large number.

The memorandum reads as under: “We have following grievances in which we request your kind intervention. We request your goodself to kindly use your Constitutional office to take up the matter with Centre Government and Governments of State of Punjab and Haryana and get these burning issues of farmers resolved and get them the needed justice:

 Strong resentment and opposition to proposed changes in Land acquisition law

The then Congress  Government in 2013 had enacted a new law, “Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Act”, which was a historic step in protecting the rights of the farmers. Modi Government, within months of coming to power, stabbed the farmers in the back and has made changes in this law through an ordinance in a tearing hurry, just to please their corporate sponsors.   Modi Govt has completely destroyed the basic spirit of the Land Acquisition Act, rendering it anti farmer. At the face of it, the Bill is aimed to grab land from the farmers, help land grabbers & fulfill their nefarious designs, denying farmers right to justice, to give free hand to officials of committing any offence in the land acquisition act, allowing land grabbers to keep the land unutilized for as long as they wish etc. Modi government seems to payback suppliers of the huge election funds through this. Nationwide, there is strong anguish among farmers against this sabotage of lawfully enacted law. BKU has always been against any move to ruin the Land Acquisition Act 2013.  Badal Government in Punjab and Khattar Government in Haryana are in full connivance with the Centre Government. Akali Dal, which claims itself to be “farmer friendly” has helped the Modi Government in this treachery against farmers.  We request you to urge Modi Government to immediately withdraw the amendments and retain the Act in its original form and spirit.

Demand for immediate implementation of Swaminathan report

The Modi Government had made tall promises of implementing the Swaminathan Report in their election Manifesto (attached) and gave huge advertisement in news papers which had photos of Narendra Modi and Parkash Singh Badal (attached) before elections. To an extent they were successful in alluring the farmers to vote for them. Immediately, on coming to power, Modi Government has completely pulled back from their big election promise and has submitted before the Supreme Court that Swaminathan report cannot be implemented. Farmers across nation are raged at this breach of promise.  What was required was that wicked ‘essential commodities act’ responsible for making agriculture a losing venture, responsible for innumerable suicides of farmers, should have been scraped, but the Modi Govt has rather sharpened its teeth including potato and onions under its garb. Modi Government is planning to disband the FCI and do away with the Minimum Support Price mechanism for food grains, which will be a deathblow for the farmers of Punjab and Haryana who have been feeding the nation. This will be a deceit of the highest order by a Union Government against its citizens. Badal Government has not taken any concrete step to get the report implemented.

We request you to ask Modi Government to honour its election promise and implement Swaminathan report immediately. Modi Government should also not disband FCI and the MSP regime.

Compensation to huge loss to crops due to unseasonal rains and hailstorm

Nature has played havoc in Haryana and Punjab where in Wheat, Sarson, Chana and vegetables crops have been very badly damaged by hailstorm, heavy rains, coupled with high speed winds, with sharp drop in temperatures. The Rabi 2014-15 crops were almost ready for a good harvesting season and the farmers have now incurred almost full input cost in raising these crops. Farmers are expected to bear output loss of 20-60% in the wake of this last spell. The damage was much higher in the case of vegetables and other horticulture crops.

We request you that immediate survey of the damaged areas should be done by Punjab and Haryana Government and farmers should be compensated by Rs. 25000 per acre.”

Bhupinder Singh Mann, Ex MPNational President BKU, Baldev Singh Mianpur, President BKU Punjab, Sukhdev Singh Jhuner, Vice President BKU Punjab, Surjit Singh Kadgil,Vice President BKU Punjab, Gurbachan Singh Bajwa,Gen Secretary BKU Punjab, Balwant Singh Bahremke ,Gen Secretary BKU Punjab, Sukhwinder Singh Kahlon, President District Gurdaspur, Balwant Singh Nadiali, President, Distt Mohali, Joginder Singh, Secretary, Punjab, Sukha Singh,President District, Moga, Harjeet Singh,President District, Ludhiana, Mukhtiar Singh, President Dist Muktsar, Valait Ram, Gen Sec, Jalalabad, Ch Guni Parrkash, President BKU, Haryana, Parveen Mathana, General Secretary, BKU Haryana, Amarpal Arya, Gen Sec Haryana, Ch. Vikram Kasana, Youth President, CP Singh, Haryana, Hukam Singh, Kurukashetra, Mahender Singh Tanwar, Block President Bilaspur, Ramesh DalorBlock Sadaura, Yamunanagar, Kirpal Singh Mando, District President Shishrauli, HR and Ch. Mam Chand, Yamunanagar were present on the occasion.