Year 2025 left farmers with the wounds of a multi-thousand-crore scam: Rattan Mann

AMBALA: The year 2025 will be remembered by Haryana’s farmers as a period of unprecedented suffering, struggle and economic exploitation, alleged Rattan Mann, State President of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Tikait. He claimed that multi-thousand-crore scams in the procurement of paddy, bajra and moong crops during the year broke the backbone of farmers, while the government and political parties remained silent spectators.Rattan Mann alleged that the paddy procurement scam alone was so large and well-organised that it surpassed all previous scandals. “Thousands of crores of rupees were siphoned off in the name of farmers’ produce, causing massive losses not only to farmers but also to the state exchequer. Fresh revelations were emerging daily from districts across Haryana, exposing the depth and scale of the scam”, said MannAccording to the BKU leader, farmers faced severe economic exploitation in 2025, unlike ever before. Many did not receive the full price for their crops, payments were riddled with irregularities, and the government’s indifferent policies pushed farmers into distress.Silence in AssemblyRaising serious questions over the recently concluded Haryana Assembly session, Rattan Mann said both the ruling party and the opposition failed farmers completely. He noted that leaders from all parties were present in the House, and farmers had expected the opposition to raise the issue forcefully and chief minister Nayab Singh Saini to address it on the floor of the House. “Shockingly, not a single word was spoken on such a massive scam,” he said, questioning why the government remained silent despite the scale of the alleged irregularities and why no accountability was fixed.Scams Beyond PaddyRattan Mann clarified that the issue was not limited to paddy alone. “There are scams in bajra and moong as well. Farmers were deceived in the name of every crop,” he alleged. He said layer after layer of truth was emerging in every district, yet those responsible continued to remain untouched. “If there were no farmers and no crops, this loot would not have been possible. Farmers’ hard work was exploited, while the perpetrators sit comfortably at home,” he added.Calling upon farmers to unite, Rattan Mann said the time for silence was over. He urged farmers to deliberate village by village, understand how such large-scale exploitation occurred, and chalk out a collective strategy against it. He warned that the pain inflicted on farmers in 2025 would have political and social consequences, and those ignoring farmers’ suffering would be held accountable.Expressing pessimism about the coming year, the BKU leader said that if the government failed to account for farmers’ losses in 2025, expectations from 2026 were minimal. “The current situation does not indicate any relief for farmers in the new year,” he said, 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 concluded.