Indian Farmers Seek Compensation

Kean Wong: Indian farmers on the border with Pakistan are demanding compensation for their land that has been cordoned off. The area under dispute is beyond a security fence set up by Indian border security forces. Most farmers in the area are very poor and depend on the security forces for their protection. Farmers say they can only get one crop a year from the fenced off land. A border farmer in the Ajnala sector who owns nearly 20 acres of land beyond the fencing says it is very difficult to meet daily expenses. [Mohan Singh, Indian Farmer]: "We face a lot of problems. Either the government should push the fence a little further or compensate us." The farmers are seeking 10,000 rupees an acre. The Amritsar and Tarn Taran Districts have about a 170-kilometre long border with Pakistan.