“Save Land, Save Villages, Save Punjab” rally by KMM against land pooling policy on Aug 20
KMM to hold rally against land pooling policy on Aug 20
Chandigarh/Ferozepur, July 24, 2025: Following a meeting at Kisan Bhawan, Chandigarh, on Wednesday, amid growing resentment over the government's land pooling policy, the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (India) held a press conference, where its national coordinator and senior farmer leader, Sarwan Singh Pandher, announced key decisions. He said the Punjab government, at the behest of corporates, was planning to appropriate fertile multi-crop land under the land pooling policy to create so-called urban estates—and that today’s meeting decided to reject the policy outright.
The land pooling policy aims to promote urban development and limit the spread of illegal colonies. It allows landowners to voluntarily contribute their land for development, receiving developed residential and commercial plots in return.
He stated that on 20 August, a “Save Land, Save Villages, Save Punjab” rally will be held in Jalandhar, where Punjab’s PUDA headquarters are located, to protest the policy. Beyond land pooling, the rally will focus on reversing electricity privatisation and prepaid meter policies, stopping proposed US–India tax-free agreements, ending police repression in Punjab, and demanding the withdrawal of FIRs filed against farmers in earlier protests.
On 28 July, thousands of farmers and workers across Punjab will submit memoranda of demands at district administrative offices. On 30 July, KMM will support a meeting held by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (India) in Ludhiana.
He further announced that a motorcycle protest march will be held across Punjab on 11 August. Emphasising unity in struggle, KMM has invited Samyukt Kisan Morcha (India) to a joint meeting at Kisan Bhawan on 26 August.
Pandher insisted that Punjab does not need the land pooling policy, and if any demand was made to the government, it should be made public. He urged the government to prepare for potential flood conditions due to heavy rains so that lives, property, and crops can be protected and to compensate farmers for past crop losses.
He also criticised the Punjab government for weakening the Pollution Act—removing six-year penalties that now endanger Punjab’s air, soil, and water—and demanded the reversal of those amendments with strict legal action against violators.
Condemning land-grabs and arrests of protesting farmers in Patiala, he warned the government to withdraw those actions immediately.
During the press conference, resolutions from various villages pledging not to give land were presented.
Farmer leaders present included Jaswinder Singh Longowal, Manjit Singh Rai, Baldev Singh Jeera, Bibi Sukhwinder Kaur, Amarjeet Singh Mohri, Balwant Singh Behiramke, Malkit Singh Gulamiwala, Dilbag Singh Gill, GurAmneet Singh Mangat, Rana Ranbir Singh, Gurvinder Singh SadarPur, Kanwardaleep SedoleHal, SukhChain Singh, Kuldeep Singh Mohri, Balkar Singh Bains, Davinder Singh, Kuldeep Singh and others.