Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers stick to confrontation line, won’t let any party campaign in Punjab

BATHINDA/JALANDHAR: The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha’s line of opposition to various political parties out electioneering in Punjab has not been followed strictly by the village cadre of farm unions, who won’t allow any campaigning till their protest against the three agri-marketing laws is on at the Delhi borders. Despite the SKM asking its members to oppose only the BJP and ‘just question’ visitors from the other parties, scores of farm union members have been confronting all politicians and not letting them enter their villages. The Kirti Kisan Union, a constituent of the kisan morcha, has taken a line that as long as the Delhi agitation is on, there can be no other political activity in Punjab and no talk of elections. The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) factions of Ekta-Dakaunda, Kadian, and Ekta-Sidhupur, besides the Punjab Kisan Union and the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee also have come out in the open to oppose any politician caught campaigning or even getting into the election mode. Akali Dal (Badal) president Sukhbir Singh Badal has tasted their anger first-hand. On August 31, he had appreciated the SKM’s call for sabotaging only the BJP events and spare politicians of “farmer-friendly” parties. “But protests continue against us,” said SAD spokesperson Harcharan Singh Bains. The BKU statement assumes significance for the SAD since it is the only party engaged in a mass contact programme in the state right now. Even Navjot Singh Sidhu as the new Punjab Congress president had to face the farmers’ ire. Apart from direct protests, village after village is putting up the ‘politicians keep out’ sign and fining any resident who invites any politician for any kind of interaction. Successive appeals by senior SKM members Balbir Singh Rajewal, Darshan Pal, and Joginder Singh Ugrahan to spare the non-BJP parties have had little impact in the villages of Punjab. Kirti Kisan Union vice-president Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala told TOI: “We feel that electioneering is harming the farmers’ struggle. Until the Delhi morcha is alive, there should be no campaigning. Like-minded outfits are with us but, at some point of time, the SKM will also have to take this line. We opposed Navjot Singh Sidhu at Khatkar Kalan and Moga, and we even confronted the SAD at Longowal when Sukhbir didn’t come forward to take our questions.” BKU (Ekta-Dakaunda) president Buta Singh Burjgill said: “The farmers’ anger against politicians is showing because the parties guard only their interests and worry only about their rallies.” BKU (Ekta-Sidhupur) president Jagjit Singh Dallewal said: “We want the farmers to follow the SKM directive but, sometimes, the local units or individuals can also take an initiative.” Darshan Pal of the SKM agreed that the union workers were confused about the protests. He said: “Morcha’s 32 farmers’ unions from Punjab will debate it on Friday (September 3) and try to frame a standard questionnaire for the parties campaigning in Punjab. The workers will be asked to stick to those questions and not take any other action.” In Jalandhar, Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala was clear about his group’s stance. “Elections, while the Delhi border protest is on, will divert people’s attention and harm the morcha.” When the KKU had posted the same stance on Facebook on August 22, a few netizens had argued that their position could be counter-productive like the boycott of the 1992 assembly elections by all the Akali groups, which had allowed the Congress to come to power “despite its unpopularity”. Asked if the SKM will go after only the BJP, Deep Singh Wala said: “SKM also said the other parties should suspend their rallies, yet they continue with those events while our people are holding protests. The polls are six months away, and without focus, we could be gone in six months.” Asked if he’d be fine with President’s Rule if the assembly elections were not held on time, the farm union leader avoided any direct reply but claimed that the current situation wasn’t much different from the President’s Rule. “If people lose their land, how does it matter if it is the President’s Rule or an elected government,” he said, adding: “Let the elections be declared, and then we’ll see.” About Sukhbir, he said: “He (Sukhbir) wants to talk to us only indoors, without the presence of the media. He is on a 100-day yatra for his political ends and not the farmers’ cause. He must clarify his position. If he can’t answer farmers’ questions, why should we let him do his political tamasha? He is a proxy of the Punjab BJP.” In Mansa, 28 villages have barred entry of all politicians and KKU doesn’t even have any presence there, claimed Deep Singh Wala. Asked why the SKM had missions in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh to support any party that could oust the BJP, and a different position in Punjab, Deep Singh Wala said: “All states have different situations. Punjab is at the centre of our agitation. If movement weakens here, it will have a countrywide impact.”

The Times of India

2021-09-03

Amritsar