Breaking the Myth of Punjab’s ‘Cancer Train’

For years, a grim narrative has been repeated across public discourse: that Punjab, India’s agricultural heartland, is battling a cancer crisis linked directly to its farming practices. Central to this story is the night train from Bathinda to Bikaner, often labeled the “Cancer Train,” allegedly packed with patients seeking treatment due to exposure to harmful agrochemicals.

The Cancer Train: A Story Repeated, Not Verified

Every night at 9:30 PM, a train leaves Bathinda, Punjab, headed for Bikaner, Rajasthan—a journey of over 325 kilometers. This train has garnered a morbid nickname over the years: the “Cancer Train.” Environmental activists have cited this train as evidence of a cancer crisis caused by agricultural chemicals. The storyline is compelling but lacks substantiated data.

Data obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act from the Acharya Tulsi Regional Cancer Treatment & Research Institute, Bikaner—one of the few institutes offering free cancer treatment tells a very different story. Between 2014 and 2024, the average percentage of cancer patients at the institute who came from Punjab was just 6%. And in 2024, that number dropped dramatically to just 2%.

“This is a clear statistical rebuttal to the narrative that Punjab is flooding Bikaner with cancer patients,” says Mr. Harish Mehta, Senior Advisor, Crop Care Federation of India (CCFI). “It is nothing more than a myth built on isolated incidents and amplified by environmental activism.”

Cancer Patients from Punjab Treated at Acharya Tulsi Regional Cancer Treatment & Research Institute, Bikaner (2020–2024)

Source: Right to Information (RTI) Act from the Acharya Tulsi Regional Cancer Treatment & Research Institute, Bikaner

Cancer Incidence in India: Where Does Punjab Really Stand?

According to data published in The Burden of Cancers and Their Variations Across the States of India: The Global Burden of Disease Study 1990–2016, Punjab ranks 24th in India in terms of age-standardized cancer incidence rate. 

Six of the top ten states are from the North-East, many of which do not practice intensive agriculture. Meanwhile, Punjab, known for its intensive, high-yield farming, ranks a distant 24th. Within India, northeastern states such as Mizoram, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim—none of which engage in intensive agriculture—report the highest cancer incidence according to ICMR data. These facts challenge the narrative that modern agriculture is the root cause of cancer in India.

Top 25 Indian States in Cancer Incidence Rate (per 100,000 population)

Source: The burden of cancers and their variations across the states of India: The Global Burden of Disease Study 1990-2016 (fig 1, appendix pg 30), published in Sept 18.

“Punjab, far from being the cancer capital of India, is in the lower tier of cancer incidence among Indian states. The narrative tying cancer to agricultural chemicals is not only statistically inaccurate but also insults the hardworking farmers of Punjab who have played a pivotal role in securing India’s food supply”, said Mr. Mehta. 

He further concludes, “This vilification of Indian agriculture serves no public good. We must celebrate scientific farming while continually improving safety, not demonize it with distorted facts.”

The Global Context: Where India Stands

In November 2020, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization released updated global cancer statistics based on age-standardized cancer rates. The data revealed that six of the top ten countries with the highest cancer incidence are located in the European Union, firmly establishing the EU as the world’s cancer capital. Countries like Australia (452 per 100,000), New Zealand (423), Ireland (373), and the USA (362) dominate the top ranks, while India stands at rank 172, with an age-standardized rate of just 97 per 100,000 population. This makes India’s cancer rate three times lower than that of the EU and less than half the global average, which is 201 per 100,000.

In India’s own neighborhood, Singapore has one of the highest cancer rate at 233 per 100,000 population—a country that does not practice agriculture at all. 

Global Age-Standardized Cancer Rates (per 100,000 population) – 2020

Source: International Agency for Research on Cancer, GLOBOCAN 2020 (Accessed on 16th December 2020)

The Green Revolution: Misunderstood and Maligned

Critics often point fingers at the Green Revolution as the origin of Punjab’s health woes. The movement did transform India from a famine-ridden country into a food-secure nation. But its success came with rapid adoption of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

“The activists’ narrative is simple: chemicals poisoned the soil and water, and harmed those who toiled the land. But such simplification is not just misleading—it’s dangerous. While every industry has its learning curve and consequences, the kind of fear-mongering happening around modern agriculture is scientifically unfounded,” Mr. Mehta emphasizes. “Activists are blaming the very systems that have sustained India’s food security for decades.”

Facts Over Fiction

It is time we replaced emotional narratives with verified data. The myth of the ‘Cancer Train’ has served as a convenient vehicle for environmental activism, but the numbers now tell a very different story.

Punjab, far from being the cancer capital of India, is in the lower tier of cancer incidence among Indian states. The narrative tying cancer to agricultural chemicals is not only statistically inaccurate but also maligns the farmers who have played a pivotal role in securing India’s food supply.

Source – https://www.en.krishakjagat.org/india-region/breaking-the-myth-of-punjabs-cancer-train/