The Crossbill News Desk
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has come out strongly against the Himachal Pradesh government’s proposed amendment to Section 118 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972, describing the move as anti-people and damaging to the state’s long-term interests.
The party has urged the Congress government not to proceed with any changes to the Act, warning of widespread public resistance.
State Secretary Sanjay Chauhan said that any amendment or relaxation in Section 118 would be detrimental to the poor, farmers, environment, culture, and ecology of the state. He warned that if the government does not withdraw this proposal, the CPI(M) would mobilize people across Himachal Pradesh and launch a statewide agitation against this anti-people movement.
Chauhan recalled that after Himachal attained full statehood, the government led by late Dr. Y.S. Parmar had introduced Section 118 in the 1972 Act to protect the rights of the people over the state’s natural resources — water, forests, and land — which he said form the backbone of Himachal’s economy.
The provision was enacted to ensure these resources were used in the larger public interest.
He alleged that successive governments have repeatedly come under pressure from corporate and capitalist forces to dilute the law.
“Attempts to amend Section 118 were made by BJP governments in 2010 and 2019 and by the Congress government in 2014, but all such efforts were thwarted due to strong public opposition,” Chauhan told The Statesman.
“It is unfortunate that whether it is the BJP or Congress, both show double standards — while in power, they act under corporate pressure to weaken this law, and when in opposition, they pretend to stand with the people,” he added.
Highlighting the state’s fragile environment and the limited extent of cultivable land, Chauhan said around 90 percent of Himachal’s population still lives in rural areas and depends on agriculture, even though only about 14 percent of the total area is cultivable.
Nearly 88 percent of the state’s farmers are small and marginal, with many owning less than five bighas of land.
“In such a situation, any amendment to Section 118 would open the door for big corporations to acquire land in the state, leading to exploitation of farmers and the poor,” he said.
Chauhan further cautioned that unscientific and reckless construction carried out in the name of development has already caused extensive ecological damage in the state, resulting in frequent floods, landslides, and the destruction of homes, farmland, and forests.
“If the government allows free acquisition of land under the guise of development, it will hand over the state’s water, forests, and land to corporate houses, pushing Himachal towards environmental and economic disaster,” he warned.
The CPI(M) has appealed to the people of Himachal Pradesh to come together and oppose what it termed as anti-people policies of the state government.
The party has urged the Congress government not to proceed with any changes to the Act, warning of widespread public resistance.
State Secretary Sanjay Chauhan said that any amendment or relaxation in Section 118 would be detrimental to the poor, farmers, environment, culture, and ecology of the state. He warned that if the government does not withdraw this proposal, the CPI(M) would mobilize people across Himachal Pradesh and launch a statewide agitation against this anti-people movement.
Chauhan recalled that after Himachal attained full statehood, the government led by late Dr. Y.S. Parmar had introduced Section 118 in the 1972 Act to protect the rights of the people over the state’s natural resources — water, forests, and land — which he said form the backbone of Himachal’s economy.
The provision was enacted to ensure these resources were used in the larger public interest.
He alleged that successive governments have repeatedly come under pressure from corporate and capitalist forces to dilute the law.
“Attempts to amend Section 118 were made by BJP governments in 2010 and 2019 and by the Congress government in 2014, but all such efforts were thwarted due to strong public opposition,” Chauhan told The Statesman.
“It is unfortunate that whether it is the BJP or Congress, both show double standards — while in power, they act under corporate pressure to weaken this law, and when in opposition, they pretend to stand with the people,” he added.
Highlighting the state’s fragile environment and the limited extent of cultivable land, Chauhan said around 90 percent of Himachal’s population still lives in rural areas and depends on agriculture, even though only about 14 percent of the total area is cultivable.
Nearly 88 percent of the state’s farmers are small and marginal, with many owning less than five bighas of land.
“In such a situation, any amendment to Section 118 would open the door for big corporations to acquire land in the state, leading to exploitation of farmers and the poor,” he said.
Chauhan further cautioned that unscientific and reckless construction carried out in the name of development has already caused extensive ecological damage in the state, resulting in frequent floods, landslides, and the destruction of homes, farmland, and forests.
“If the government allows free acquisition of land under the guise of development, it will hand over the state’s water, forests, and land to corporate houses, pushing Himachal towards environmental and economic disaster,” he warned.
The CPI(M) has appealed to the people of Himachal Pradesh to come together and oppose what it termed as anti-people policies of the state government.
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