Shimla | July 12, 2025
Former MLA and senior CPI(M) leader Rakesh Singha launched a scathing attack on Himachal Pradesh forest officials and the state government, accusing them of trampling constitutional rights and unleashing a wave of repression on apple farmers.
His fiery remarks came in response to the recent controversial order issued by Special Secretary (Forests) Vijay Kumar and DFO Rajgarh, under which hundreds of fruit-laden green apple trees were being felled in Kumarsain, Chaithla villages ahead of the harvesting season.
Addressing the concern on social media, Singha minced no words in a viral video:
"If a land rights case like the case in Punjab can be decided in favor of a genuine farmers in Punjab, where 55000 hectares were handed back to the rightful cultivators, why can't it happen in Himachal Pradesh?
Are we not part of the same Constitution?"
He warned forest and revenue officials that orders which go against the spirit of constitutional rights would not be tolerated.
"This is not Taliban rule.
This is a democracy, and if need be, we are ready to go to jail to protect farmers' rights. We have not liberated this country to let a few babus destroy the hard-earned rights of the poor."
Singha questioned the intent behind the felling of apple orchards:
"The land may be forest land on record, but it has been cultivated for generations.
The trees weren't wild. These are varieties developed through years of hard work. The orchards are part of Himachal’s agricultural heritage.
You can't just send JCBs and axes and destroy someone’s livelihood overnight!"
He drew parallels with national policies and judgments, claiming that the same Constitution applies across states, and farmers can't be selectively criminalized:
"In Delhi, courts order regularization of unauthorized colonies. Why such double standards here?"
Referring to the government and its bureaucratic machinery, Singha alleged a bigger conspiracy:
"Who benefits from these evictions?
Is this about reclaiming forest land or about paving the way for future private players under the guise of conservation? What is this obsession with audits and demolitions just before harvesting?"
He ridiculed the “Talibani-style” orders, calling them anti-people, anti-farmer, and unconstitutional.
"These orders are not just about trees.
They are about dignity, about a farmer’s right to exist on his land. If you think you can muzzle us, you’re mistaken. This is going to be a battle of the people against a soulless system."
He ended his address with a call to action:
"We appeal to the Chief Minister to intervene. You can’t build a green Himachal by breaking the backs of those who nurtured it. If this continues, resistance will rise from every village.
This is not a warning, it’s a promise."
As tension simmers across apple belts of Himachal, the debate over rights, forests, and livelihoods has taken center stage.
And with voices like Rakesh Singha openly challenging the state’s moves, the coming days could see intensified political and social mobilization. The Sayunkat Kisan Morcha of dozens of farmers outfits is now in action mode.
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