The CPI(M) on Monday strongly opposed the Himachal Pradesh government’s proposed amendment to Section 118 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972, calling it anti-people and harmful to the state’s interests.
The party has urged the government not to go ahead with any changes to the Act in the interest of the people.
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 then government led by late Dr. Y.S. Parmar had included Section 118 in the 1972 Act to safeguard the rights of the people over the state’s natural resources — water, forests, and land — which form the backbone of Himachal’s economy. The provision ensured that these resources would be utilized in the larger public interest.
He alleged that over the years, successive governments have faced pressure from corporate and capitalist interests to dilute this 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.
“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,” Chauhan said.
Highlighting the state’s fragile environment and limited agricultural land, he pointed out that 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 warned that unscientific and reckless construction in the name of development has already caused severe ecological damage in Himachal, resulting in frequent floods, landslides, and destruction of homes, farmland, and forest wealth.
“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 added.
The CPI(M) has also appealed to the people of the state to unite and oppose such anti-people policies of the government.