Ludhiana: Akhara village has emerged as the center of a growing grassroots protest against industrial development, with hundreds of farmers and residents rallying on Sunday against a proposed biogas factory, reports The Times of India.
The demonstration, organized by the Gas Factory Anti-Sangrash Samiti and the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Dakouda), saw men, women and children march through the village, pledging to continue their opposition until the project is scrapped.
Protest leaders accused the Punjab government of dismissing public concerns and siding with corporate interests. They said the government’s recently released “action report,” based on an expert committee meeting, was nothing more than a formality meant to justify a pre-decided plan.
“The government is favoring a handful of factory owners at the cost of the health and safety of thousands of villagers,” said Manjit Singh Dhaner of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Dakouda). Kanwaljit Khanna of Inqilabi Kendra Punjab echoed this view, alleging that factories were being approved without consent from local governing bodies and in ecologically sensitive “dark zones.”
District Secretary Jagtar Singh Deharka and District President Inderjit Singh Dhaliwal warned that villagers would not yield to government pressure. “If the government does not shut down these factories, it will have to pay a political price,” they said, urging authorities to take a quick decision in favor of local communities.
The protesters vowed to intensify their agitation in the coming weeks if their demands are ignored.
