Artist-farmer Kulpreet Singh questions politics of blaming stubble burning for pollution

Kochi, Dec 18 (PTI) A farm somewhere in Patiala is set on fire by a group of Sikh men - a traditional way of preparing the field for the next crop - in a practice blamed for air pollution in north India, especially Delhi-NCR.

The short film by visual artist and farmer Kulpreet Singh at the ongoing Kochi-Muziris Biennale is the centrepiece of his work “Indelible Black” through which he asks the burning question -- who should really be blamed for the crisis, the farmers or the many pollutant-inducing human activities like industries, traffic and wars.

“Why does the farmer always get blamed when the source (of pollution) lies somewhere else? How come the US and China contribute to 40 per cent of global carbon emissions when there is no stubble burning?” Singh asked in a conversation with PTI.

Playing on loop inside a darkroom at Anand Warehouse in Fort Kochi, the eight-minute film shows a group of men, Singh and team, burning stubble with background sounds of industrial activity, vehicular traffic, explosions and bullets being fired. The cries of farmers are unmissable in the mix.

Singh participated in the 2020-21 farmers protests on the borders of Delhi against the three farm laws and used ashes from the stoves of protesting farmers at the site in his works.

“Governments should see why farmers have to burn stubble. They lack money and resources to remove the stubble before it’s time for the next crop to be sowed. If the stubble is not removed, moisture sets in the land and makes it almost impossible for the next seed to germinate,” he said.

The enclosure, which is strewn with hay and bales repurposed as benches, also shows sepia-toned paintings made with stubble soot and burnt stalks.

Severe levels of air pollution in Delhi-NCR for the last several years has been blamed for stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana.

In a statement to Parliament earlier this month, the Environment Ministry said there has been a 90 per cent reduction in fire incidents in Punjab and Haryana in 2025 compared to 2022. Nonetheless, Delhi has recorded sky high levels of air pollution this year.

While pointing at the many reasons for air pollution through his video, Singh depicted the impact of climate crisis on all lives, human and animal.

As the group of men runs across the smouldering remains of stubble carrying long shrouds of canvas, the images of fallen trees, howling wolves, birds on their back and farmers lying in state appear as mirror to harsh realities of current times.

The sound of water in the film, the Patiala-based artist said, is a metaphor for the depleting ground water levels, floods that have flattened farm lands in Punjab, and also for the pollution added to water streams by industries.

The 6th edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, which formally opened here on December 12, is running across 22 venues in Fort Kochi, Mattancherry, Wellingdon Island, and Ernakulam with 66 artists and collectives from more than 25 countries.

The 110-day international contemporary art exhibition, showcasing a diverse programme of talks, performances, workshops, and film screenings, will come to an end on March 31, 2026. PTI MAH MIN MIN