Summary
In half hour flat, Gurmeet Singh burns rice stubble on two acres of land in Jassi Bagwali village, 20 km west of the city of Bathinda in Punjab. The fields that he burns at 4 in the afternoon are not in a remote corner but on the Mandi Dabwali stretch of National Highway 64 on Bathinda’s outskirts. Vehicles are plying as usual, with some passers-by slowing down to watch the fire, and one tempo driver getting down from the vehicle to click a selfie with the fire in the backdrop. Singh is alone on the job, and requests this writer not to take his photo. He knows what he is doing is illegal, but has little choice. “I am not the landlord. I am a daily wager earning Rs 300. Look, it’s alrea......