Farmers Movement Archive

Punjab: Another black law, says Satnam Singh Ajnala on ordinance

AMRITSAR/BATHINDA: The ordinance calls for heavy penalties, including jail term, on violators. “Laws with stringent penalties already exist, but they are not implemented for ‘presumable’ reasons,” said Jamhuri Kisan Sabha state president Satnam Singh Ajnala, while talking to TOI on Wednesday. He said the new law would just give another reason to the governments to force farmers to abide by their directives through enforcement agencies. The Centre on Wednesday night introduced the law, through an ordinance, to check air pollution in Delhi NCR and it has a provision of fine up to crop Rs 1 crore and a jail term up to 5 years on violators. The ordinance entails setting up of a Commission for Air Quality Management for the National Capital Region (NCR) and Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan. Border Area Sangarash Committee general secretary Rattan Singh Randhawa said instead of dealing with violators, especially farmers who were forced to burn stubble, the government should introduce a policy for compensating farmers to desist them from stubble burning. “We are already protesting tooth and nail against the three controversial agri laws, and this one has just added to our woes as we apprehend the same law for other states in near future,” he said. Kisan Mazdur Sangarash Committee state general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher said there was a fear among farmers of Punjab over the new law. “Government claims the law will help curb air pollution, but we fear that the government’s main target will be poor farmers, while rich industrialists who contribute most to air and water pollution go scot-free,” he said. The authorities had been calling the stubble burning in Punjab as the reason behind worsening of Air Quality in Delhi. The crop residue burning had started early this year making Supreme Court direct northern states to act tough. “It seems the central government wants to disturb atmosphere of peace and tranquillity in Punjab. It wants to provoke people, especially farmers, to turn violent, so the central government could put blame on them and could use force to disband protests. It also seems the central government is acting in such a way to pave the way for President’s rule. We will vehemently oppose this and will debate on it in meetings in Delhi on November 3 and in Chandigarh on November 4,” said farm organisation BKU (Ekta Sidhupur) state president Jagjit Singh Dallewal. “Why the provision for imprisonment of 5 years, just jail us for life,” said a representative of BKU (Ekta Ugrahan). BKU (Ekta Dakaunda) general secretary Jagmohan Singh called it a penalty on Punjab farmers for opposing farm laws. “Such acts woudl cause heartburn. The government needs to work for the welfare of farmers, not punish them.”

The Times of India

2020-10-30

Amritsar