When the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was in the Opposition in Punjab, they protested the ambitious Mattewara textile park project that the Congress had sought to put in place.
At that time, Bhagwant Mann, the current Chief Minister of Punjab, had addressed a press conference opposing the project and had lamented how the Congress leaders "live in farmhouses in Siswan (a reference to Captain Amarinder Singh) but want to acquire land of Ludhiana’s Mattewara forest... Just like the Modi government, they are using the COVID-19 lockdown to snatch away land from people.”
Interestingly, once in power, the AAP and Mann went back on their word. During the Punjab Assembly session on 28 June, Mann announced that the government will set up an industrial project across 1,000 acres of land in Mattewara. He claimed that the proposed textile park will not pollute the Sutlej river.
On Monday, 11 July, Mann – to the delight of environmentalists and residents of Sekhowal village in Punjab’s Ludhiana district -- announced that the Mattewara textile park project stands cancelled.
The CM met the Public Action Committee (PAC) which was formed by a group of environmentalists, activists, a former army officer, a dentist and a lawyer to protest against the project.
In this piece, The Quint aims to answer all questions related to the project – from the genesis of this project, the politics of it, and the reasons for widespread protests.
What Was the Mattewara Project?
In 2020, the Punjab government led by Captain Amarinder Singh acquired 950 acres of land in Punjab’s Ludhiana and introduced the Mattewara project.
Under the PM’s Mitra Scheme, at least seven textile projects are to be set up across the country at a cost of a whopping Rs 4,500 crore – the Mattewara textile project was supposed to be set up under this scheme.
It was supposed to be set up at the Sekhowal village, which has a majority population of Dalit Sikhs. Back in the 1960s, they had converted barren land into cultivable land.
In 1970s, a potato seed farm was established there by the government, against the wishes of the residents of the village. In 2014, they got their land rights back after fighting long legal battle against potato seed farm.
Just six years after they won the hard-fought battle for their land, the Punjab government’s Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) bought land from the Panchayat which too was opposed by the villagers.
What Happened on 11 July?
Amandeep Bains, a dentist, who is also a member of the PAC, told The Quint that when CM Mann met the committee, he spoke about “how he used to talk about forests and birds through his art, his personal connect.”
Bains said, “He said that not only will he cancel the Mattewara project but his government will also try to increase forest cover and take care of the existing Mattewara forest. He promised to PAC that the government won’t set up any industries in the floodplains and the catchment area of the Sutlej river.”
(People protesting against the Mattewara project)
(Photo: Sandeep Singh)
Bains claimed that the CM lamented the project was introduced by the previous Congress-led government of Punjab and that his government “wants to strengthen existing forests, and that’s why the Mattrwara project has been canned.”
In a video statement that he posted on Twitter on Monday, CM Mann claimed “that the Central government had demanded 1,000 acres of land from the previous Captain (Amarinder Singh) government, which was approved without any consultation and taking into consideration river water".
"I reconsidered the project keeping in view that it will destroy the forest and pollute river water.”Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann
Celebrations at Sekhowal Village
Once Mann announced that the Mattewara project has been canned, there were celebrations in Sekhowal village. After all, cancellation means that the land that has been acquired will be returned to village panchayats.
Apart from nearly 500 acres of land of government departments, the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) had acquired 416.1 acres of land of Sekhowal village, 27 acres of Salempur, and 20 acres of land of Sailkan village.
(People celebrating the cancellation of the Mattewara project)
(@mattewaramorcha/Twitter)
PAC’s Bains claimed that the CM assured transfer of land ownership to back to village panchayats on Monday.
At Sekhowal village, activist and resident Kashmir Singh – who was at the forefront of fighting against the Mattewara project – was hailed a hero by residents, with many congratulating him.
He told the The Quint, “I was in Ludhiana but when I came back to the village, everyone congratulated me. All of us want that the government should transfer land rights to our village panchayat soon so that we can continue farming without any fear or insecurity.”
Political Tussle Around the Project
Mann and other top AAP leaders had protested the Mattewara project when they were in the Opposition. A notification was issued by Punjab's Forest Department on 25 May to cut nearly 8,000 trees and plants to build a road leading to the textile park site.
This notification led to huge outcry on social media and went against the Bhagwant Mann government’s claims that it won’t cut even a single tree for the project.
After coming to power, however, Mann’s stand on the project changed. In fact, in the Punjab Assembly, he declared that his government have identified land in Tehsil Koomkalan of Ludhiana district for setting up textile park under PM-Mitra scheme.
On Monday, he cancelled it.
It appears that the Punjab CM had to take a U-turn after a seeing a sea of people protesting against the project on Sunday. People from other parts of Punjab as well as Haryana and even Rajasthan showed up despite heavy rains.
Leaders from different Opposition parties, Sikh scholars, intellectuals, farm leaders, activists, and youngsters attended this protest
Those who spoke against the project include Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Akali Dal (Badal)’s MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali, and Sangrur Lok Sabha by-poll winner Simranjit Singh Mann of Akali Dal (Mann).
At the protest site, activist Lakha Sidhana left Congress’ Warring red-faced when he said that it was in fact Warring’s party that was in power and had introduced the Mattewara project.
Sidhana said that it was Congress that brought it and it is the Congressmen who are opposing it. Warring apologised in front of those present at the protest.
Leaders of several farm unions, Sikh student body Sath, student unions such as Student for society (SFS) and Ambedkar Student Association (ASA) too participated in the protest on Sunday.
Why Were People Opposing the Mattewara Project?
Apart from land acquisition that deprived residents of Sekhowal village from farming, the depleting water levels and the constant polluting of the Sutlej river were some of the other concerns the locals had.
The polluted river water and the polluted air are often linked to health hazards in the area. Had the textile park been set up, it would have touched boundaries of the forest from two sides.
This would have impacted the ecology of the area and made it difficult for birds and animals to survive in the polluted area. Textile industry’s water waste would have released polluted water which would have also polluted the Sutlej river. The project also had an emotional connect with many people as Guru Gobind Singh had escaped to Mattewara forest in a wounded condition after the Battle of Chamkaur Sahib in 1704.
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