Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers call all-party meet today, minus BJP in Chandigarh

BATHINDA: Farmer organisations of Punjab have decided to meet five leaders from each political party of Punjab except BJP in Chandigarh on Friday regarding the early start of campaigning for the state assembly elections. Representatives of 32 farmer organisations of Punjab have asked the political parties to depute five senior leaders each to have a dialogue with farmers at the People’s Convention Centre in Sector 36, Chandigarh. The farmers have also asked the political parties to suspend campaigning till elections are announced as it causes a loss to the ongoing protest on the borders of Delhi and at various places in Punjab. The concession has been made to listen to the political parties before taking any concrete decision on the issue. The need of this arose after farm activists started opposing the leaders in the state and the Shiromani Akali Dal had written to farm leaders, saying it wanted to meet them to clear their doubts about the party’s stand on farm protest. Senior farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said, “As there is a lot of time for elections, political parties should not fully indulge in campaigning as it adversely affects the ongoing farm protest. As some activists were opposing rallies of SAD, the party wanted to meet the farmer leaders. Going by it we decided to meet leaders of all the parties separately, give them different slots, and have fixed a venue at Chandigarh to meet them on Friday. We have asked them to send a list of five representatives to farmers who will appear for meetings.” Congress, SAD and AAP responded promptly to the farmers’ offer for all-party meeting and announced names. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal deputed four party leaders to attend the meeting convened by the Kisan Morcha. Those who would represent SAD include Balwinder Singh Bhundur, Prem Singh Chandumajra, Maheshinder Singh Grewal and Daljeet Singh Cheema. Party spokesperson Cheema said the party had written a letter to the Kisan Morcha a few days ago to clear its stand on the three contentious agri-marketing laws and to convey that they were with the farmers. He added that the party president received a letter from the Kisan Morcha for the meeting on Thursday. The party’s next strategy would be decided after their meeting with the 32 farmer unions, he said. AAP sources said MLAs Kultar Singh Sandhwan (also head of party’s farmers’ wing), Aman Arora and Punjab general secretary Jagtar Singh Sanghera will attend the meeting. Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu will attend the meeting along with working president Kuljit Singh Nagra and general secretary Pargat Singh, said sources. On July 26, Sidhu had even said that he would go barefoot to meet the protesting farmers. “Congress party stands firmly with the SKM and Kisan Satyagrahis; the three black laws must be repealed,” he had said in a tweet and also clarified that his earlier remark to meet the farmers’ organisations made at his installation ceremony was misunderstood. SAD had started a full-fledged poll campaign under ‘Gal Punjab Di’, but farmers opposed its at almost all places and had clashed with police in Moga on September 2, when they were stopped while heading towards the Akali rally venue. The incident had made SAD suspend its rallies by a week (till September 11). Kirti Kisan Union, which had given a call to oppose SAD, too, will participate in the meeting. KKU vice-president Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala told TOI, “It is for the welfare of Punjab, that farmers want the poll campaigning to be cut short as extravagant money spent on it goes from the pockets of common man by way taxes. Political parties, who not listen to anyone, are listening to farmers because of their capability to sustain bigger protest.”

The Times of India

2021-09-10

Chandigarh