The year 2025 will be etched in the memory of Haryana's agricultural community as a time of immense hardship and systematic exploitation, according to a scathing indictment by Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Tikait's State President, Rattan Mann. He has alleged that multi-thousand-crore scams in the procurement of key crops shattered the economic backbone of farmers, while the state's political machinery watched in silence.
Unprecedented Scams Shatter Farmer Livelihoods
Rattan Mann claimed that the scale of corruption witnessed in 2025 was historic. He singled out the paddy procurement scam as particularly vast and well-organised, asserting it dwarfed all previous scandals. "Thousands of crores of rupees were siphoned off in the name of farmers' produce," Mann stated, highlighting that this caused catastrophic losses to both the cultivators and the state treasury.
He revealed that fresh details of the fraud were emerging daily from various districts across Haryana, uncovering the true depth of the scandal. However, Mann clarified that the issue was not confined to paddy alone. "There are scams in bajra and moong as well. Farmers were deceived in the name of every crop," he alleged, painting a picture of widespread malfeasance across the procurement system.
A Stunning Silence in the Political Arena
Mann raised serious questions about the role of Haryana's political establishment during the recently concluded Assembly session. He expressed deep disappointment that both the ruling party and the opposition failed to address the farmers' plight. Despite the presence of leaders from all parties, the massive alleged scam was not even mentioned on the floor of the House.
"Shockingly, not a single word was spoken on such a massive scam," Mann said, questioning the government's silence and the lack of any accountability for the alleged irregularities. He noted that farmers had expected the opposition to raise the issue forcefully and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to provide answers.
Call for Unity and Self-Reliance
In the face of this perceived betrayal, Rattan Mann issued a clarion call for farmer unity. He declared that the time for silence was over and urged the agricultural community to deliberate at the village level, understand the mechanics of the exploitation, and formulate a collective strategy against it.
He warned that the pain inflicted in 2025 would have significant political and social repercussions, and those ignoring the farmers' suffering would be held accountable. Expressing pessimism for the coming year, Mann stated that if the government failed to account for the losses of 2025, expectations from 2026 were minimal.
"The current situation does not indicate any relief for farmers in the new year," he concluded, adding that farmers must now rely on their own strength. "We have to organise, become stronger and fight for our rights. There is little hope left from the government," Rattan Mann asserted, signalling a potential new phase of agitation rooted in disillusionment.
