A five-member team from the People’s Union for Democratic Rights, Delhi visited five villages in four districts of Punjab to investigate the issue of the use of Panchayati land by landless dalit households and the associated instances of violence and arrests. Non-distribution of ceiling surplus land and be- chirag land to landless households was also brought to the notice of the team. The team met officials from Sangrur district: Deputy Commissioner, Additional District Commissioner (Rural Development), and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Sangrur).

Following are the findings of the team:

1. The landless Dalit residents have been mostly unaware about the provision of Panchayati land available to them on For decades these lands have been wrongly leased through proxy bidders and the administration has been complicit in this practice.
2. Over the past 15 years or so, the demand to obtain lease of these lands has been raised by the landless Dalit residents through organisations such as the KPMU (Krantikari Pendu Mazdoor Union), NBS (Naujawan Bharat Sabha) and currently by the ZPSC (Zameen Prapti Sangharsh Committee).
3. Amongst the earliest biddings where Dalits participated, was at Benra village (Sangrur) where 9 acres of land was leased to They were able to lower the lease rate from 3 lakhs to 1 lakh making it around 11,000 thousand per acre.
4. In Mandour village (Patiala), the Dalits obtained lease to panchayati land only recently in 2023. However, this year, proxy bidders were again used by the landed sections to deny land to the dalits. The Dalits refused to vacate the land claiming that the bidding was a farce. A High Court intervention prevented Dalits from reversing the bidding. A huge contingent of police force was sent to the village and the ensuing altercation led to the arrest of 25 Many were confined to the jail for a month and the lease was lost to the proxy bidders.
5. In Tolewal village (Malerkotla), Dalits had collectively obtained lease to 2.5 acres of panchayati land in 2017. They have been growing paddy for sale and wheat for their own consumption with each family getting an equal share. However, since this demand was raised, it has become difficult to obtain daily wage Even NREGA employment for the Dalits has ceased.
6. In Batriana village (Sangrur), Dalits got lease to panchayati land in 1982, this did not last for long. Lease rates were high and many times the landed sections used proxy bidders. With the intervention of ZPSC since 2015, the lease rates were brought down to Rs 25,000 per acre for 28 acres of land. Eighteen acres of this land is collectively farmed with paddy sold in the market. The proceeds are kept on interest and used to buy farm machinery and pay for the next year’s auction bid. The winter crop is wheat for consumption. Half a bigha, per household, is kept for fodder cultivation for families owning livestock.
7. In Sekha village (Ludhiana), proxy bidders were removed in 2022 for the first time and Dalits obtained lease for 6 acres of land for three years. Villagers grew fodder on this land for 100 families whose livelihood is dependent on raising livestock and they also increased their livestock. However, this year once again the landed sections put up a proxy bidder. And Dalits were prevented from entering the bidding hall. An impasse has resulted where the land remains uncultivated as the Dalits are on a continuous protest sit-in on the same land to prevent landed non-Dalits from farming this land. They now face an economic boycott, stoppage of NREGA work and serious fodder shortage for the livestock.
8. The instances listed above point to the violation of the spirit of the Punjab Land Reforms 1972; the Punjab Village Common Lands Act, 1964 and the Nazrool Lands (Transfer) Rules, 1956.
9. Dalits and other landless villagers do not have access to membership in the Primary Credit Society, their indebtedness is increasing at the hands of the private micro-credit finance companies. Villagers shared how they have been discriminated against further for collectively struggling for their share of panchayati land.
10. The team noted that employment opportunities outside the village were scarce with abysmally low wages. In the villages too, employment opportunities and wages have suffered due to the influx of migrant Therefore, access to land for the landless Dalits becomes crucial to their livelihood and dignity. Additionally, the struggle to obtain Panchayati lands on lease has led to further discrimination. Therefore, the demand for the distribution of surplus land under the Land Ceiling Act and access to Be-chirag land in Punjab has gained momentum. But there have been no visible moves by the government to respond. An agitation was started by the ZPSC for acquiring Be-chirag land of 927 acres at Bir-Aiswan. They called for putting chirag in this land on May 20. However, on 17 May, the administration called for a meeting followed by arrests of leaders. Around 850 people were picked up from various parts of Sangrur of whom 400 were put in jail for many days.
11. District officials justified their The proxy bidding is understood as the result of a lacuna in the law and even though an official order to overcome it exists, the law takes precedence over the official order. Hence there is no positive action in this regard to ensure access to the intended recipients.

The team finds the state government and the district administrations responsible for the current state of affairs through their action and inaction on various fronts leading to an increase in social tensions and instances of violence, fall in livelihood, as well as rampant arrests as a result of a neglect of protective legislations for the poor.

Harish Dhawan and Paramjeet Singh
(Secretaries)

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