Photo used for indicative purpose only. Source Internet
Hatkoti (Jubbal), July 16,
In a bold escalation against the ongoing forest eviction drive, the Himachal Pradesh Apple Growers Association (HPAGA) has announced a mass protest and gherao of the State Secretariat on July 29, calling it a fight to save not just orchards, but the very essence of “land, livelihood, and Himachaliyat.”
The decision was taken at an emergency general body meeting held in Hatkoti on Tuesday, where over 250 farmers and orchardists from Rohru, Jubbal, Nawar, Kotkhai, Chopal, and Chuharu gathered to raise a collective voice against the recent felling of thousands of apple trees in the region.
Terming the High Court-mandated eviction drive as “brutal and unjust,” former Theog MLA Rakesh Singha lambasted the state machinery, stating, “This is not justice — this is a war on the poor. When only 12.7% of Himachal’s land is cultivable, uprooting farming families and orchards is a direct assault on our food security and existence.” He warned that centuries-old livelihoods cannot be wiped out “in the name of legality.”
HPAGA President Sohan Lal Thakur accused the government of orchestrating a campaign of “systematic harassment” under the garb of legal compliance. “This isn’t just about apple trees. It’s about dismantling rural Himachal — one bulldozer at a time,” he said, urging farmers to mobilize at the grassroots level and build resistance.
State Committee Member Sanjay Chauhan proposed the resolution to cordon off the Secretariat on July 29 — a call met with unanimous approval from the gathering. He appealed to trade unions, horticulture boards, and civil society groups to stand in solidarity with the apple belt. “What’s under threat is not just orchards — it’s the very identity of Himachal’s rural economy,” he said.
Also present were Secretary Puran Thakur, and community representatives including Sandeep Verma, Sucheta Sharma, Jitendra Ratnaik, and Anju Chauhan, who shared ground reports of families being displaced and orchards razed in Kotkhai and surrounding villages.
HPAGA has called on the general public to join the movement, warning that if mass tree-cutting and evictions continue, a larger statewide agitation will be launched. “Apple is not a fruit here — it’s a lifeline. And we will defend it, come what may,” read a statement issued by the association.
As the chainsaws continue roaring in Kotkhai, Himachal’s orchardists are preparing to raise a louder cry — not just for land, but for dignity.
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