Punjab farmer outfits ask government to withdraw stubble burning cases or face resistance

Farmers in Punjab are annoyed over the registration of police cases against them, which they view as unfair targeting, for burning paddy stubble, even as farmer outfits have warned the State government of stiff resistance if the cases are not withdrawn.

Farmers associated with over 30 farmer and farm labour unions under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) have declared that they would hold demonstrations and submit memorandums to deputy commissioners in support of their demands on November 4 across the State.

“Farmers are being unfairly targeted. We will be holding demonstrations in Punjab to express our anguish. Our key demand includes the immediate withdrawal of police cases registered against farmers for stubble burning, among others,” said Jagmohan Singh, general secretary, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Dakonda) and member of SKM.

“In many cases, farmers have already harvested their crops and bundled the stubble into bales, but these have been sitting idle in the fields for days due to a shortage of machinery needed to clear them. What is a farmer expected to do in such a situation? There’s no other way left for farmers to clear the fields. Farmers are forced to burn stubble out of compulsion, not choice. The government should immediately withdraw the police cases against farmers who have been booked for burning stubble,” he said.

“On November 4, we will peacefully demonstrate and give memorandums to deputy commissioners in all the districts of the State, asking them to withdraw FIRs and other cases against farmers on stubble burning. On November 19, farmers will hold a symbolic demonstration in Chandigarh on the issue and in support of other long pending demands,” he said on Thursday.

The Punjab Police have till October 29, registered 376 separate cases against individuals under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for alleged disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant surrounding agricultural waste and stubble burning.

Sarwan Singh Pandher, senior leader of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, said the government should first come out with an alternative and then ask farmers to refrain from burning the crop residue. “We should be given a bonus of ₹200 per quintal on paddy or ₹6,000 per acre in connection with the ban on stubble burning. We will continue to protest if the police cases are not withdrawn,” he said.

“Rather than penalising farmers for stubble burning, the government should either provide us with practical and dependable alternatives for managing crop residue or offer financial compensation,” he added.

While the harvesting of paddy, the key kharif (summer) season crop, continues in Punjab, instances of stubble burning are on the rise. According to the Punjab Pollution Control Board data collected through satellite imagery, the State has recorded 1,418 stubble burning incidents from September 15 to October 30.

Sangrur, the home district of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, recorded the highest number of farm fires at 48 as the State registered 202 such instances in a single day on October 30.