Farmers and apple growers from Himachal Pradesh, India, assembled in Shimla to protest against evictions and demand land regularization. The protest was organized by the Himachal Kisan Sabha and the Apple Producers Association at Chaura Maidan, Shimla.
The demonstrators, carrying banners and placards, marched from Panchayat Bhawan to Ambedkar Chowk, Shimla. Their demands included a suspension of evictions until the Supreme Court addresses land ownership and forest classification complexities. They also called for the rejection of the 1952 notification that classifies wastelands as forests, provision of land to landless farmers and those affected by natural calamities, and regularization of Nautod land. Further demands included fair compensation for acquired land, resolving pending land ownership cases, and livelihood support for roadside vendors.
Kisan Sabha State President Dr. Kuldeep Singh Tanwar criticized the government's land acquisition for development projects, alleging non-compliance with the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. The rally concluded with a plan for further protests at the sub-division, block, and tehsil levels on April 28, 2025.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu addressed the protest, assuring consideration of the demands. Former MLA Rakesh Singha submitted a memorandum to the CM on behalf of Kisan Sabha. Sukhu stated, "Ensuring the welfare of farmers and orchardists was the priority of the present state government and would not be displaced under any circumstance."
Source: Hindustan Times