The resistance against Punjab government’s contentious land pooling policy, under which it plans to acquire over 50,000 acres of fertile agricultural land, is gaining momentum as villagers across the state have planned a long battle forward.While a day-night pakka dharna outside the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) office began Sunday, SKM Punjab leaders are also holding village-level meetings to coordinate protest strategies. The protest outside GLADA office is spearheaded by the Zameen Bachao Sangharsh Committee and is drawing daily participation from residents of two different villages.“Though the Punjab government has announced various amendments to the scheme on Monday and passed them in the cabinet on Tuesday, we are not fools. Where is the government going to get so much money to give monthly compensation to farmers?” asked Kanwaljeet Singh Khanna, a Jagraon-based member of BKU Dakaunda.Farmers and activists argue that no amount of allurement — be it revised lease amounts or claims of voluntary participation — can overshadow the anger brewing in rural Punjab.Also Read | Explained: Punjab’s land pooling policy and its criticism“Resistance is building every day. Villagers are holding mobilisation meetings, and on July 30, a massive tractor march across the state will show the government the real feedback on this so-called ‘beneficial’ scheme,” said Balwinder Singh Kanwar, convenor of Lok Adhikar Lehar, whose farmland in Ballowal village falls under the policy.He said that like the three farm laws, they will make the government roll this back too. “Who in their right mind carries out such large-scale land acquisition in one go — and that too when only 1.5 years of your term is left,” he said, adding that the entire policy is tainted.Villagers have also accused the government of duplicity, questioning why the sale and purchase registration of land has been stopped in villages falling under the scheme if it is truly voluntary as they say.“About 44 villages in Ludhiana have already joined the dharna outside GLADA. Every day, two villages join us at the protest site, and it will continue until the policy is rolled back,” said Jagrup Singh, a resident of Hassanpur village.SKM Punjab leaders have also held meetings in Dakha and Lalton Kalan to garner support.Story continues below this ad“If the scheme was genuinely good, why did the government need to change it and add more benefits?” asked Didar Singh Malak from Malak village.Dr Jasbir Singh Aulakh, a retired Deputy Director from the Punjab Health Department, pointed at fundamental questions around the rationale behind the policy. “Does Punjab really need more urbanisation when it’s already at 43%, above the national average of 31%?” he asked, adding, “Has there been any expert study on this urban push? What is the policy on large tracts of land already designated non-agricultural? And when villages are displaced, what’s the plan for those non-farming rural professions that are also uprooted?”He also questioned the changing compensation figures. “It started at Rs 30,000 per acre annually, then rose to Rs 50,000, and now Rs 1 lakh. If development is expected to be swift, why commit to long-term rent? Even the government seems unsure of the timeline,” he said.Farmer Didar Singh asked when will they get the promised developed land. “Our agricultural land is giving us annual income. How will they substitute that?” he asked.Story continues below this adFarmers said that in several villages of Ludhiana the per acre rate is between Rs 4 and Rs 5 crore. “The government will not match the amount. The resale of that residential and commercial land will also be another challenge for us,” said another farmer. Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, general secretary of BKU Ugrahan also asked, “The Punjab government is already under debt. From where will it get the money to pay rentals for thousands of acres? Who are they trying to fool?”With nearly 164 villages affected by the land pooling policy, farmers say that the fight is not just about land but is also about their identity, livelihoods, and trust. The battle lines are drawn and the July 30 tractor march will show the government the real face of rural Punjab, Kokrikalan added.