Shimla, July 14, 2025 –
In a sharp critique of the state government’s actions amid the ongoing apple season, former MLA Rakesh Singha, along with Sanjay Chauhan and members of the Himachal Pradesh Seb Utpadak Sangh, has urged Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to immediately halt the felling of apple trees and present a clear policy in the High Court regarding land regularisation for small and marginal farmers, especially in the wake of recent floods and mass displacement in Seraj and other hill regions.
“One tree means survival for a farmer”
Speaking at a press conference in Shimla, Rakesh Singha said:
“This is not just about trees; this is about farmers’ survival. A single apple tree can feed a family. Right when the orchards are full of fruit, the forest department is cutting them down like criminals. This is injustice, plain and simple.”
He slammed the double standards of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980:
“Industrialists are allowed to set up factories on forest land, but a small farmer cultivating a patch for decades is being evicted. Where is the justice in that?”
“Govt told High Court they have no policy”
Singha referred to the June 18 High Court hearing, stating:
“The government’s own Advocate General told the court there is no policy to regularise the land of small cultivators. Then on what basis is the forest department uprooting these orchards?”
Sanjay Chauhan added:
“This isn’t just legal insensitivity – it’s economic and emotional violence against thousands of hill farmers. The government promised regularisation in its manifesto. Now is the time to act, not run away from the people.”
He further said:
“Natural disasters have destroyed homes and farms across Himachal. Instead of offering relief, the government is bulldozing the last hope of farmers. This must stop.”
Their Key Demands:
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Immediate halt to apple tree cutting.
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Government must submit an affidavit in High Court clearly outlining its policy for land regularisation.
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Farmers’ rights under Forest Rights Act 2006 and Forest Conservation Rules 2022 must be enforced.
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Compensation for damage and rehabilitation of displaced families.
“This is not just policy – this is survival”
Calling on all political parties and Members of Parliament to rise above politics, Singha said:
“The orchard isn’t just a source of income. It’s generational work, it’s culture, it’s identity. You can’t erase that with an axe.”
The Himachal Pradesh Seb Utpadak Sangh also warned of mass protests if the tree felling and evictions continue.
#SaveAppleOrchards #HimachalFarmersFirst #ForestRightsNow #JusticeForMarginalFarmers #AppleSeasonCrisis
