Farmers Movement Archive

BKU leader Charuni’s suspension comes as setback to followers

Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Gurnam Singh Charuni’s weeklong suspension from Samyukt Kisan Morcha has caused resentment among his supporters, HT has learnt.According to his followers, the decision to suspend Charuni was taken two days after he led a convoy of thousands of farmers from Fatehgarh Sahib and Gurdaspur districts of Punjab.During his visit to Punjab earlier this week, Charuni travelled to several districts including Fatehgarh Sahib, Ludhiana, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur and Patiala and openly advocated that the SKM leaders should launch Mission Punjab and contest the coming polls.“Charuni’s suspension has come as a major setback to the lakhs of farmers of Haryana who were facing FIRs, police action and are away from their families for the past seven months in support of this agitation,” said his follower Nirmal Singh from Yamunanagar district.Harpal Singh, state secretary of the BKU (Charuni), said that leaders from Punjab were worried about his popularity not only in Haryana but he was also given a rousing welcome in Punjab and that is why they decided to sideline him.Support was pouring in for Charuni on social media too and people were slamming the decision of Morcha leaders. “Punjab leaders failed to enter Haryana until Charuni’s supporters helped them and removed barricades from Shambhu border,” stated Karaminder Bains, a follower.Difference of opinion Since the beginning of the agitation in November last year, Charuni had differences of opinion with the Morcha leaders on several occasions. Farmer leaders from Punjab were planning to start a sit-in at Shambhu border on November 25 and later Charuni insisted that they should break the barricades and try to reach Delhi. Even, he assured them that farmers from Haryana will clear the barricades to make a way for them and his supporters removed most of the barricades from Shambhu border to Kundli border in Sonepat district. Charuni was also against the decision of Morcha leaders over holding Kisan Panchayats in Haryana and Punjab as he was in favour of taking the protest to other states. In January Charuni was snubbed by Morcha members for meeting political leaders and the move was strongly condemned by Morcha members and he assured that he would not share the platform with any political party till the farmers’ agitation was on. Charuni also slammed his counterpart from UP Rakesh Tikait on several occasions. Recently, Charuni without naming anybody, also raised questions about why the farmers were not holding protests against BJP leaders in BJP ruled Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.What nextThe development has exposed the fissures within Morcha members and Charuni has himself slammed the decision of his suspension but made it clear that he will continue his support to the agitation.People close to him said that he was still at the Singhu border and his supporters were planning to lead a convoy of thousands of farmers from Yamunanagar district on July 20 to Singh border. “The decision will not affect our association with the agitation and we will continue our fight for the rights of farmers as it is,” said BKU (Charuni) spokesperson Rakesh Bains. Dr Ramji Lal, principal of political science and retired principal of Dyal Singh College Karnal said, “This decision may have an impact on the agitation as it could demoralize supporters from Haryana. But Charuni’s call for a political foray could go either way as he had already contested polls unsuccessfully”.Who is CharuniA resident of Kurukshetra’s Charuni village, Gurnam Singh Charuni led hundreds of farmers’ protests over several issues in the past more than 30 years even during the regimes of Bhajan Lal, OP Chautala and Bhupinder Singh Hooda. He organised one of the first farmers’ meetings in September in Haryana’s Pipli (Kurukshetra) to protest against the three laws. Having huge support in northern districts, now Charuni has spread his union in several parts of Haryana even though it got good support in the Jat heartland Hisar, Sirsa, Rohtak, Jind and Sonepat districts.In 2014, he joined the Aam Aadmi Party and his wife Balwinder Kaur contested the Lok Sabha elections on AAP ticket from Kurukshetra unsuccessfully. In the 2019 state assembly elections, he contested from the Ladwa Assembly seat independently but lost his security deposits.

Hindustan Times

15-07-2021

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