Farmers Movement Archive

Farm activist suspended for hosting Gurnam Singh Charuni in Punjab

Tribune News ServiceSonepat, July 18Leaders of Punjab’s 32 protesting farmers’ unions have suspended president of one of their unions Harsulender Singh for 15 days for welcoming Haryana farm leader Gurnam Singh Charuni during his visit to Punjab.‘Matter of morcha unity & discipline’Charuni had been suspended by the SKM for a week on Wednesday for asking Punjab farm leaders to contest the upcoming Assembly polls.Darshan Pal Singh, a Punjab farm leader and member of the SKM, confirmed that Harsulender Singh, president of the Doaba Kisan Sangharsh Committee, had been suspended for welcoming Charuni. It was the decision of all farm unions of Punjab, he added.Kulwinder Singh Sandhu, general secretary of the Jamhuri Kisan Sabha (one of the organisations), said the suspension was ordered to maintain discipline and unity in the morcha. “It is not the first time that a farm leader has been suspended. Earlier too, some leaders were suspended to maintain the decorum.”Meanwhile, Harsulender claimed the decision was taken by the Punjab outfits, not by the SKM. “They took the decision during a meeting on July 13, and have banned me from participating in any meeting during the period. Some farm leaders even opposed the decision, but they were overruled.”He said his only fault was that he had welcomed and offered tea to Charuni at his village Kishangarh in Jalandhar district.“It is my moral duty to welcome and offer water and tea to any senior farm leader visiting my village,” Harsulender said, adding that he would, however, obey the decision of the group and not run away from the farmers’ protest.

The Tribune

2021-07-19