Farmers Movement Archive

Didn’t ask Sikh religious leader to mediate: Farmers

JALANDHAR: Baba Lakha Singh, who created a flutter by meeting Union agriculture minister Narendra Tomar on Thursday evening and offering to mediate between the Centre and the farmers’ groups, heads one of the three factions of Nanaksar Dera at Kaleran village near Jagraon in Punjab. He has been a member of the Damdami Taksal chief Harnam Singh Dhuma-led Sant Samaj and has been running a langar at Singhu border. He had even addressed the audience from the main stage at Singhu border and appreciated the coming together of diverse communities for the cause of farmers. Farm union leaders on Friday clarified that they had neither held any meeting with him nor asked him to mediate. He is not among very influential Sikh religious leaders and his influence is limited to a section of followers of the Nanksar Dera. BJP Kisan Morcha national spokesperson Kamaljeet Soi, who accompanied Baba Lakha Singh during his meeting with Tomar, said, “Till date the langar started by him is closest to the stage. He has been very considerate about the farmers who are spending cold nights there and it was his own initiative to talk to the minister for finding a solution.” “Already Sant Ram Singh, who was also from Nanaksar sampardai, has shot himself for the cause of farmers, and Baba Lakha Singh’s main concern is farmers. He made an earnest attempt to diffuse the situation so that both sides can have an honourable solution and farmers are also satisfied,” said Soi, who is known more for his work on road safety. Repeated calls to Baba Lakha Singh’s mobile phone remained unanswered.

The Times of India

2021-01-09

Ludhiana