Congress political leaders unite for Sikh farmers in Gujarat

NEW DELHI: The Haryana chief minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, has said that he is closely monitoring the situation arising out of the issue of alleged eviction of Sikh farmers from the Kutch region of Gujarat, and no injustice will be allowed to be done to them.

"We are keeping a close watch on the situation and have taken steps to ensure that the interests of the sikh farmers in Gujarat are protected and justice is done to them", Mr Hooda said.

Haryana and Punjab Congress leaders had met the Prime Minister, Mammohan Singh, and urged the Prime Minister to look into the matter and come to the aid of the affected farmers.

After the 1965 war, at the initiative of late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, the then Congress-led Gujarat Government had given barren government land to sikh families in the vicinity of Pakistan border area in Kutch district, at a token rate.

Punjab leader of opposition Sunil Jakhar blamed that none but Gujarat government and its chief minister Narinder Modi was responsible for eviction of sikh farmers from their legally acquired lands. ""After becoming CM of Gujarat in 2002,on his directions the Gujarat government refused to acknowledge these settled sikh farmers at rightful owners of their lands and in 2003 eviction notices were served upon them. When the rights of farmers were restored to them through the High Court order ,Narinder Modi's government went into appeal against the order to the Supreme Court to ensure these Sikh farmers are deprived of their land rights,""said Jakhar.

The Gujarat Congress in its 2012 Gujarat manifesto had promised to restore the rights of these farmers and will now do everything possible to help these farmers said Arjun Modhwadia, president of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee.

"These farmers were given rights to acquire land and electricity connections during Congress regime and now while these farmers are being evicted by Modi's government on one hand they are doling out land to industrialist who are non Gujarati,"said Mr Jakhar.