Rice variety triggers rift among Sikh farmers

On Friday afternoon farmers of Sikh community in Powayan area Shahajahanpur held a meeting in the ground of rice mill to reach a consensus over a basic yet intrinsic question:. Whether or not to cultivate Sattha variety of rice in their fields ?

The question has divided the otherwise closely knit community to such a level that police and district administration have had to intervene. The Friday meeting too was moderated by the circle officer (CO) and sub divisional magistrate (SDM) of the area.

The problem started in 2015 when several Sikh farmers of the area decided against cultivating Sattha rice on their farms. They argued that the water requirement of the variety was high and cultivating it led to the depletion of the underground water table. The then district magistrate Vijay Kiran Anand further issued an order to stop the cultivation of Sattha. “No one in our village cultivated Sattha last year and we have decided not to do so in future ,” said Kunwarjeet Kaur, head of Garwapur village.

Unlike Garwapur, farmers of other villages opposed this decision and are rooting to continue its cultivation. “The rice variety help us to overcome the losses incurred in the rabi season. Poor and marginal farmers cannot continue farming without Sattha,” said Hardayal Singh, a local farmer leader opposing the order. “We have written a letter to the chief minister and agriculture minister against the order,” he added. The majority of farmland in Powayan is owned by Sikh farmers and any decision on the issue will be pivotal for the ecosystem and future of farmers of the area. Currently the consensus on the issue seems a distant goal. The Friday meeting too was indecisive and the DM has called for another meeting next week.