By SATINDER BAINS
CHANDIGARH: The clamour to bar outsiders from purchasing agricultural and residential land in Punjab is rapidly gaining traction, driven by resentment against migrant labourers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar following a series of violent incidents involving locals. What began as a wave of village-level resolutions and farmer-group demands has now snowballed into a political flashpoint that threatens to corner the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The trigger came after the murder of a five-year-old boy in Hoshiarpur, allegedly by a migrant worker. In its aftermath, at least 20 village panchayats in the district—and many more in neighbouring areas—passed resolutions restricting undocumented migrants and refusing to issue residence verifications. On September 13, sarpanches from 27 villages gathered in Bajwara to adopt joint resolutions. Soon after, Bathinda’s Gehri Bhagi village followed suit, even proposing that migrants be barred from buying residential or agricultural land and restricted to staying only in farm “motor rooms.” District authorities, however, have clarified that such resolutions have no legal force.
The villages Panchayats in Mohali district had also passed such resolutions restricting renting of houses to migrants last year after two migrants killed a Punjabi youth in village Sohana.
Despite their unenforceability, these resolutions have resonated strongly among sections of rural Punjab, intensifying pressure on the Mann government to act. The push to ban “outsiders” from purchasing land—on the lines of rules in some other states—would mark a dramatic policy shift for Punjab, carrying constitutional, social and economic implications.
Prominent voices have begun to endorse the demand. Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira has emerged as one of the most vocal advocates, urging the state to pass a law restricting land purchases by non-Punjabis. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal has also promised that if his party is voted to power, it would block outsiders from acquiring land in Punjab.
Farmer organisations, already mobilised over the recently scrapped Land Pooling Policy, have amplified the debate, though a formal, statewide demand to legislate a ban on land sales to outsiders has yet to crystallise. Much of the momentum still comes from local panchayats and community groups reacting sharply to the Hoshiarpur incident.
The AAP government, meanwhile, has chosen silence. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has so far avoided commenting on the issue. Earlier this year, he criticised similar demands, calling them unfair and contrary to Punjab’s inclusive ethos. Political observers now say AAP’s reluctance to engage signals a defensive posture—one that risks turning into a major setback as opposition parties sharpen their attacks.
Adding to local anger is the lack of proper verification of migrant workers, which many residents claim allows criminals to blend in and escape after committing offences. In the last two years there is spate of street crime in Punjab both by migrants and against migrants. The Punjab Police has miserable failed to stop street crime, the targeted killings, extortions and threat calls by gangsters.
Industry leaders have warned that any mass exodus or legal restrictions on migrants could paralyse Punjab’s economy, which relies heavily on migrant labour in both agriculture and industry. Over 500 academics, writers and activists have also condemned the vilification of migrants, appealing for restraint and urging Punjabis to protect the state’s plural character.
A section of society is also fearing an adverse reaction against Punjabis living in other states, if campaign named "Bhayie Bhjao-Punjab Bachao' are not countered immediately.
Caught between growing local hostility and warnings from industry and civil society, the Mann government faces a delicate balancing act. The controversy continues to build, and AAP may soon be forced to take a definitive stand—risking political costs whichever side it chooses.
Other states already have restrictions
Punjab is not the first state to witness such debates. Several Indian states already have laws restricting land purchases by outsiders:
Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra have blanket bans on non-residents acquiring agricultural land, with only limited exceptions.
Gujarat allows only farmer families or persons of farmer origin to buy agricultural land under the Gujarat Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act.
Rajasthan does not impose a blanket ban, though NRIs and PIOs are barred from directly buying agricultural land, and other restrictions apply.
Maharashtra has Partial restriction: agricultural land may only be bought by people registered as farmers (e.g. appearing in the 7/12 extract) in many cases; also rules for Non-Resident Indians differ.
These precedents are now being cited by Punjab’s opposition leaders and farmer groups to build pressure on the state government to follow suit.