Punjabi farmers in Gujarat: Badal seeks intervention of Modi and Gadkari

Chandigarh, September 4, 2012:Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today sought the immediate intervention of his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi and National President of BJP Nitin Gadkari, to sort out the issue of legitimate ownership right of the Punjabi farmers over the agriculture lan d being ploughed by them from last more than three decades.

In separate letters to the Gujarat Chief Minister and the National BJP President, Badal said that the orders of collector of Kuchh to freeze more than 1,000 "Khedut Khatas" (agricultural accounts) of the Punjabi farmers was a complete injustice with these people who had developed this barren land into fertile one with their hard labour.

The Chief Minister said that he was peeved to learn that though a Division Bench of Gujarat High Court headed by acting Chief Justice had already given a ruling in the favour of these farmers but now the Gujarat government has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court challenging the decision of the High Court.

Badal further said that it was totally unfair as Gujarat was a homeland for these Punjabi farmers who had been practicising agriculture in state from past three decades and thus played a pivotal role in the progress of the state. Urging Modi and Gadkari to have a sympathetic view on this matter, the Chief Minister said that if the matter is resolved amicably then insufferable misery and distress to these farmers could be avoided.

It may be recalled that  a 17-member delegation of Punjabi farmers from Bhuj and Kutch (Gujarat) led by Spokesperson of SAD Mr Balwant Singh Ramoowalia had called on the Chief Minister on September 3, to apprise him that Gujrat Government was uprooting them under the Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands (Vidarbha Region) Act. The farmers had urged Badal to take up the issue with the Gujarat government so that their displacement could be avoided. Reiterating the commitment of the state government towards the welfare of the farmers in general and especially the farmers belonging to Punjab and settled in other parts of the country, the Chief Minister had assured them that he would take up this matter with Mr Modi and the BJP high command.