Farmers Movement Archive

Stir popularity leads to political ambitions

AMRITSAR: The long drawn out farmers’ agitation, which has caught the attention of the common public, has also inspired many frontrunner leaders to nurture political ambitions and ride the ‘popularity wave’ to victory in the assembly elections, if fielded by any party. After planning to form their own political outfit, a group of farmer leaders, who held a few rounds of meetings with some ‘investors’ and Akali dissidents, presented a ‘report card’ of their present situation to a senior Congress leader in his house on Tuesday. After holding a meeting with the enthusiasts, a Congress leader who didn’t wish to be named, said the situation was not very encouraging or conducive but a few farmer leaders were nurturing ambitions. “The farmers are already divided into 32 groups. Out of these, 12 groups do not even enjoy the support of 200 persons each, yet they have managed to secure a seat while holding deliberations with government. The remaining 10 groups of farmers have followers ranging from 4,000 to 7,000 for each faction,” he said. State president, Jamhuri Kisan Sabha (JKS) Satnam Singh Ajnala said, “Farmer leaders are not thinking of forming any political party but people are approaching us with proposals. All this depends on the victory of the struggle in Delhi.” He did not rule out the possibility of the formation of a political front. Stating that in past, JKS had been contesting elections in Punjab, he said so far, the ‘Sanyukat Kisan Morcha’ or conglomerate of 32 farmer organisations, had not explored the possibility of formation of a political party to contest the 2022 assembly elections in Punjab. However, Gurbachan Singh Chaba of Kisan Mazdur Sangarash Committee (KMSC) said, “We are not interested in politics, if we indulge in politics then who will fight with the government?” Sources also said that a group of enthusiasts were going to Delhi to explore possibilities with AAP’s senior leadership.

The Times of India

2021-01-20

Amritsar