Farmers Movement Archive

To reclaim stir, unions go Gandhi way

Having been “sabotaged” briefly, farmer leaders have gone back to the Gandhian way to reclaim the movement from extremist elements.From suspending two farmer organisations, which allegedly connived with extremist groups, to sitting on hunger strike and holding ‘sadbhavna’ (goodwill) marches at Singhu, there is an attempt to dissociate the movement from the January 26 events in the national capital.‘Sadbhavna’ rally to show unityOn Thursday, members of the farmer organisations, holding the Tricolour and union flags, took out a “sadbhavna” rally at Singhu. Dr Darshan Pal, president, Krantikari Kisan Union, said there were some attempts at creating differences between members from Punjab and Haryana. “So we instantly planned this rally to tell our brothers from Haryana that we are united,” he said.During the rally, senior farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said they wanted to tell the countrymen the farmers were bigger nationalists than the BJP. “We have great respect for our national flag,” he said.The vehicles in the rally bore the national flag and photographs of Bhagat Singh as slogans of ‘Long live unity of Punjab and Haryana’ rent the air.Apart from the ‘sadbhavna’ march, the unions have announced a hunger strike on the martyrdom day of Mahatma Gandhi (January 30). “We want to tell people we were equally pained at the hooliganism that unfolded at the Red Fort on January 26,” said Rajinder Singh Deep Singhwala, vice-president of the Kirti Kisan Union.Sources say the unions have also acted tough against organisations that allegedly became part of the “sabotage” attempt allegedly perpetrated by Deep Sidhu, Lakha Sidhana, Students For Society and Democratic Students’ Organisation on January 26.The sources say the BKU (Krantikari) and BKU (Doaba) have been suspended from the platform of 32 farmer organisations. They have also been asked to give an explanation before a five-member committee, to be headed by Balbir Singh Rajewal, a senior farmer leader.Till their suspension is revoked, the organisations can neither attend any meeting nor can their speakers address fromthe forum stage.

The Tribune

2021-01-29

Chandigarh