Palampur – In a scathing indictment of the state machinery and its complicity in illegal land occupation, former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar has slammed both the administration and the judiciary for waking up too late in the matter of apple orchards grown on encroached forest land. His remarks follow a Supreme Court order directing the Himachal Pradesh High Court to ensure the immediate felling of around 4,000 apple trees planted on 300 bighas of illegally occupied government forest land in a village in the state.
The court-mandated action has begun, but Kumar’s statement has turned the spotlight on decades of official negligence, silent approvals, and systemic corruption that enabled such large-scale encroachment to happen in the first place.
“Where was the government then?” Shanta Kumar asked pointedly, referring to the years it took for the encroachers to plant thousands of apple trees and develop what is now a thriving orchard. “This illegal act didn’t happen overnight. It took years to plant 4,000 trees and for them to bear fruit. And now, just before harvest, the axe is being wielded—not on corruption, but on the trees.”
The former Union Minister expressed deep anguish over the images published in newspapers showing the apple trees—laden with fruit—being cut down. He said this was not just the story of one village but an example of how forest land worth crores has been illegally grabbed across the state over decades, while officials looked the other way.
Crime Took Root Under Government’s Nose
Shanta Kumar questioned how such a large encroachment could have taken place without the knowledge and active collaboration of government employees. “Today there’s a government in every village, every block. Officials and staff are present everywhere. Yet, under the shadow of ‘a few silver coins’, their conscience was sold, and the forest was looted tree by tree, bigha by bigha,” he said, suggesting that corruption, not ignorance, enabled this theft of public land.
He compared the current incident with similar patterns across India, where illegal buildings worth crores are constructed and even rented out, and only after years of investment and settlement, courts order demolition—while no action is taken against the officials who allowed it in the first place.
Judicial Silence Also Under Question
Shanta Kumar’s criticism didn’t spare the judiciary either. While acknowledging that the court is now acting, he questioned the delay in intervention and the lack of accountability directed at the officials who allowed the encroachment to begin.
“The courts have ordered that these trees be cut down. But did they ever ask when this land was first occupied illegally? Who were the officers in charge then? Why hasn’t the court directed that they be prosecuted and punished?” he asked, adding that punishing only the orchard now is like punishing the consequence, not the crime.
Rot Runs Deep: A Warning to the System
Shanta Kumar’s words are not merely an emotional response to the cutting of fruit-laden trees; they are a damning commentary on how deep the rot runs in governance. His statement reflects the frustration of many citizens who see illegalities flourish openly until judicial orders arrive years too late—by which time the land, the law, and the public trust bear the cost.
As bulldozers move in and apple trees are felled, the former CM’s statement has sparked a much-needed debate: Who benefits from delayed justice, and who is held accountable for letting the crime begin?
The orchard may be cut, but unless the roots of systemic corruption are pulled out, more such tragedies will continue to bloom—until the axe falls again.
