On Thursday, a group of farmers in a village in the Faridkot district of Punjab held hostage a government employee who had visited the village to inquire and inspect about the ongoing incidents of stubble burning in the area. The incident happened in the Jeewan Wala village of the district.
According to the reports, the Patwari named Sukhdeep Singh Sodhi had gone to the village on Thursday to inspect an incident of stubble burning which is causing severe air pollution in the nearby areas including in India’s national capital New Delhi. However, the Patwari was made hostage by a group of farmers at around 9 am yesterday. Later the members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) arrived at the spot and extended support to the protesting farmers. The Patwari had visited the area for inquiry after the nodal officer of the area had given a report of stubble burning.
After getting this information, Block Agriculture Officer Dr. Gurpreet Singh, Naib Tehsildar Kotkapura Jay Amandeep Goyal and the DSP reached the spot, but they could not secure the release of Sodhi. The official is still held hostage by the farmers, despite efforts by the administration to release him. The district administration officials are talking to the farmers on the issue. But the farmer leaders have decided to keep Patwari Sukhdeep Singh Sodhi hostage till their demands are met.
The farmers are demanding that the survey done by the official and another survey earlier by another officer on stubble burning in the area should be withdrawn, and an undertaking from the administration that no such surveys will be done in future. The farmers are also demanding assurance that no action will be taken against them for burning farm residue. The Patwari will be released only after the government agrees to these demands.
The farmers justified their act and complained that the government had failed to provide them with the machines which are used to manage the farm residue. “SDM promised that machines will be provided but nothing has been done. We burn stubble as there is no other option”, the farmers stated.
Punjab | A Patwari, who went to inspect a report of stubble burning in Faridkot’s Jeewan Wala village was taken hostage by a group of farmers.
— ANI (@ANI) November 4, 2022
“SDM promised that machines will be provided but nothing has been done. We burn stubble as there is no other option,” says a farmer pic.twitter.com/7FNlQIl5HT
The farmers and the members of the BKU further asserted that they would continue to burn the stubble if they are not provided with the machines to tackle the farm residue. While the protesting farmers have not released the Patwari yet, Faridkot Tehsildar Anil Kumar, taking cognizance of the incident assured that the government is taking steps to free the government employee. “Our nodal officer gave a report of stubble burning. Patwari had come here to find that out. The villagers came to know about this and took him hostage. We are talking to the farmers (for his release)”, he added.
Our nodal officer gave a report of stubble burning. Patwari had come here to find that out . The villagers came to know about this and took him hostage. We are talking to the farmers (for his release): Anil Kumar, Tehsildar, Faridkot pic.twitter.com/RCcgA8YB0l
— ANI (@ANI) November 4, 2022
This incident has come as a huge embarrassment for the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, which has been lambasted in recent weeks for failing to control stubble burning in Punjab, a state where they have chastised previous governments for failing to do so.
Notably, the Bharatiya Kisan Union members had earlier threatened that the state government would face massive farmer protests if any action, such as a fine or a red flag in the revenue record, is taken against the farmers for burning stubble. According to them, around 80 percent of the farmers don’t have the necessary machinery or equipment for managing the stubble.
Farm residue burning pollutes the air every year at the beginning of autumn, particularly in northern India, including the nation’s capital, New Delhi. The politics surrounding the issue between Punjab and Haryana have also flared up, as the AAP govt in Punjab continues to face a tough challenge in addressing the long-standing and persistent danger of stubble burning during the ongoing paddy harvesting season.
