Farmers Movement Archive

Fissures in BKU Bhanu over withdrawal from farmers protest, leaders defy call S

Several leaders of Bharatiya Kisan Union, Bhanu faction, have decided to continue supporting the farmers’ protest against the three Central farm laws despite the withdrawal call given by the group in the wake of the violence unleashed in the national capital during the tractors’ rally on the Republic Day.These dissenting leaders have called for an emergency meeting to decide their future course of action after the chief of the group, Thakur Bhanu Pratap, announced the suspension of the protests on Wednesday.Chaudhary Diwakar Singh, the national vice president of the organization, is leading the group of dissenters.Diwakar said he was shocked by the decision to suspend the movement taken by the organisation’s chief and has therefore convened an emergency meeting of the organization's office -bearers in the area on Thursday."This is the time when the farmers’ movement needs our support. Conspiracy against the movement shows we are on the verge of success, therefore we can't leave the protests now," he said.Chaudhary Diwakar has a good following among the farmers in Amroha and neighbouring districts and has been co-ordinating the movement against the farm laws in the region.Also Read: Farmers’ protest: Traffic resumes at Delhi’s Chilla border, others remain shutDiwakar was the state general secretary of BKU (Tikait) faction before he joined BKU (Bhanu) as its national vice president in October 2014. A civil engineer by profession, Diwakar was one of the leaders who carried out 109-days-long Satyagraha at Rajabpur area of Baghpat to support the seizure of Meerut Commissionerate in 1988.He, however, denied he was aiming to form his own outfit."Thakur Bhanu Pratap has given his whole life for farmers and we can't doubt his loyalty, but we don't agree with his decision to withdraw from the movement at this point," he said.Diwakar said he had conveyed his decision to the leaders of the group that he was against the withdrawal of support to the farmers’ protests.The organisation's state president, Yogesh Pratap Singh, who is son of Thakur Bhanu Pratap, said he would continue to support the movement.

Hindustan Times

28-01-2021

Lucknow