Tensions ran high in Nadel village of Fatehabad district, Haryana, on Wednesday as a protest by farmers against a proposed land auction escalated dramatically. The agitation saw farmers allegedly holding a government official, Naib Tehsildar Rashwinder Singh, for approximately one and a half hours, leading to a significant law and order situation.
Root of the Conflict: A Loan Gone Sour
The core of the dispute lies in a financial agreement gone awry. According to sources and Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugraha) district secretary Nirbhay Ratia, a farmer from Nadel village had initially taken a loan of around Rs 7 lakh from a commission agent in Jakhal Mandi. Over time, with accumulated interest, this debt reportedly swelled to a staggering Rs 27 lakh. To recover this outstanding amount, the commission agent, Jagdish Rai, approached the court, which subsequently ordered the auction of the farmer's land.
Farmers and the BKU leadership have strongly opposed this order, terming it unjust. They argue that the land in question is valued at nearly Rs 4 crore, and its auction for a fraction of that value in loan recovery is disproportionate and harsh. The farmers had been raising slogans against the government and administration since morning, demanding the withdrawal of the auction order.
The Day of Protest and Detention
The protest commenced around 10 am and continued till 5 pm. Naib Tehsildar Rashwinder Singh had gone to the village to execute the court's directions regarding the auction proceedings. However, when no party appeared before him, he decided to leave the spot. It was at this moment that events took a confrontational turn.
Agitating farmers allegedly stopped his vehicle and detained him, holding him for about 90 minutes. On receiving information about the incident, police personnel rushed to the location. The situation was eventually defused after the Jakhal police station in-charge intervened, safely escorting the official back to his office.
Differing Perspectives and Official Statement
The incident has highlighted the clash between legal procedure and grassroots protest. Commission agent Jagdish Rai maintained that he followed the legal route and that court orders are binding and must be complied with. From the farmers' side, Nirbhay Ratia stated that they were willing to resolve the matter through a panchayat but would not accept what they called coercive action by the administration.
Speaking to local media after the incident, Naib Tehsildar Rashwinder Singh clarified that no auction took place on Wednesday. He mentioned that he held a meeting with prominent villagers at the panchayat house and asserted that the situation was now "under control."
The day-long standoff underscores the deepening agrarian distress in the region, where loan recovery mechanisms often pit financial institutions and courts against farming communities fighting to protect their primary asset—land. The incident in Nadel village is a stark reminder of the volatile nature of such disputes.
