Farmers Movement Archive

SKM leader blasts farm unions at rally in support of Deep Singh Sidhu, Sidhana

BATHINDA: BKU (Krantikari) president Surjit Singh Phool, who is part of the Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), went ahead on Sunday and addressed a youth kisan rally at Mastuana Sahib in Sangrur for the sympathisers of Red Fort violence accused Deep Singh Sidhu and Lakhbir Singh ‘Lakha’ Sidhana. There, he condemned the protest leadership of the farmers for calling Sidhu and Sidhana as traitors, and said Sidhana was as dear to him as earlier. He accepted that the happenings of January 26 had disillusioned the young farmers but said efforts were on to bridge the differences. Delhi Police arrested Deep Sidhu, while Lakha Sidhana is on the run, carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh for his information. A part of the morcha had declared them traitors on January 27. The rally’s organisers projected the presence of Phool as morcha’s endorsement of the cause of Deep Sidhu and Lakha Sidhana. Sikh ideologue Ajmer Singh and Hardeep Singh Mehraj of the Dal Khalsa even found faults with the kisan morcha leadership. Phool said: “Some farm unions wanted to march to Parliament or block the KMP Expressway for indefinite period but the lack of numbers prevented a decision.” Not stopping here, Phool said: “The new farm laws are death warrants for the farmers, so we cannot retreat from the protest without getting those repealed. If anyone returns, he’ll have signed his death warrant. We are 40 unions in the agitation and even if 39 disagree, we alone will continue the siege of Delhi until they put us all in jail.” Phool, along with Harpal Singh Sangha of the Azaad Kisan Committee Doaba, was suspended from the morcha for a breach of discipline and diverting the January 26 tractor parade from the agreed route. Sangha’s suspension was revoked after some days but Phool had to wait longer. After the Sangrur rally, Phool told TOI: “I went to the rally as a leader of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha but spoke in my personal capacity, so those are not the views of the morcha. At the Singhu border on March 7, we had decided to bridge the gap with young farmers and my going to that meeting itself is a sign that that we are approaching our annoyed leaders.”

The Times of India

2021-03-15

Amritsar