The North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) expresses its deep concern and strong condemnation over the ongoing land acquisition activities being carried out by the Punjab government. The state’s land-pooling policy, though officially described as voluntary, is in reality turning into a coercive and deeply unjust campaign against Punjab’s farming community. Reports emerging from various districts including Ludhiana, Patiala, and Fatehgarh Sahib reveal that thousands of acres of fertile agricultural land are being acquired without transparent procedures, fair compensation, or the free consent of farmers. This has led to rising anxiety and anger across rural Punjab.
NAPA views this land acquisition scheme as a direct threat to the survival and dignity of Punjab’s small and marginal farmers. While government representatives claim that the farmers will benefit from planned development and modern infrastructure, the ground reality tells a different story. Farmers are being pressured through administrative channels and misleading promises to surrender the very land that has sustained their families for generations. The so-called urban plots being offered in exchange are vague, unconfirmed, and hold no guarantee of equivalent value or productivity. This amounts to nothing less than a modern-day land grab, executed under the guise of development.
The scale of this forced acquisition is alarming. An estimated 24,000 to 25,000 acres are being targeted, impacting nearly 50,000 farming families across over 150 villages. The economic implications are devastating, with projected losses exceeding ₹2 lakh crore. Beyond financial ruin, this policy threatens to destroy Punjab’s agrarian economy, displace families from ancestral land, and further alienate the youth from agriculture. The removal or dilution of key protective provisions from India’s Land Acquisition Act—such as consent requirements, fair market compensation, and social impact assessments—has stripped farmers of basic safeguards that are vital in any democracy.
NAPA strongly urges Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the Punjab government to immediately suspend all land acquisition and land pooling activities. It is imperative that open and honest consultations be held with affected farmers, panchayats, and independent experts. Any development policy must be rooted in transparency, legality, and fairness. We demand the restoration of all legal clauses that protect farmers from exploitation and the commissioning of a thorough social impact study before any further steps are taken.
Punjab’s farmers are not obstacles to progress—they are the very backbone of the state and the soul of its cultural and economic identity. Dispossessing them in the name of modernization is not only unjust, but a betrayal of the very spirit of Punjabiyat. NAPA stands in full solidarity with the farming community and will continue to raise this issue on both national and international platforms. We call upon all conscientious citizens, lawmakers, and civil society organizations to stand with Punjab’s farmers in this critical hour.