Farmers Movement Archive

‘Haryana farmers made the way for Delhi, not backing out of Mission Punjab’

Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) president Gurnam Singh Charuni is not going to back down from his ‘Mission Punjab’, the farm unionist’s political plunge in Punjab. Speaking to TOI’s Manvir Saini, Charuni said he will not contest himself, but will field candidates on all 117 assembly seats of the state. He added farmers from Haryana too made a major contribution to the success of the farm agitation and that farmers will return home only after the Centre gives a legal guarantee on MSP and announces compensation for the kin of those who died during the agitation. The Union government has started the process of repealing the three farm laws which triggered the protest. What next? Repealing the laws is one of our four major demands. Our main demand is MSP guarantee. Most importantly, (our other demand is) withdrawal of cases registered against farmers. At the moment, 48,000 farmers from Punjab and Haryana are facing criminal cases registered by police over the past year. Also, we want adequate compensation for the next of kin of farmers who have died on the Delhi borders during the agitation. What are your electoral plans? Will you still go ahead with Mission Punjab, given the stiff opposition from SKM? We will move forward as per plan. We will go ahead with Mission Punjab. I will never contest elections from Punjab. But, yes, we will field candidates on all 117 seats. The agitation is in its last leg. Once we are through, we will float a party and announce candidates for Punjab. The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has been constituted to put a joint fight against the three laws and other demands of farmers. This decision of going into electoral politics is our — BKU (Charuni)’s — independent decision and we are not bound to follow anyone. We will go ahead with Mission Punjab and decide on other states later. How do you justify farm unionists entering electoral politics? You made this attempt ahead of 2019 assembly elections in Haryana as well? Politics needs serious reform. Unlike others who think of resorting to electoral poltics for personal growth and development, my wish is to ensure cleaner politics and that power is with the real stakeholders, the farmers. I have contested an election in the past. Dig out my campaigning videos, I just gave calls to create awareness among farmers and voters. Mission Punjab will be a wake-up call for farmers and masses. What helped the most in forcing the government to repeal laws? How do you see the contribution of farmers from Haryana? The spirit of farmers, who carried out this agitation with peace and patience, was the biggest reason for success. Despite hardships and conspiracies, farmers did not budge. This led to the public sentiment growing against the government and in favour of farmers. Farmers from Haryana breached the barricades at Shambhu, Kurukshetra and Karnal. They fought the government to pave way for our entire community. Despite resistance by some of our own leaders from Punjab who chose to sit at Shambhu, efforts by farmers from Haryana took them to Delhi borders. Lastly, we had announced to oppose all those in power. Even the Haryana CM was not allowed to land in Karnal. While referring to Rakesh Tikait, you had been saying that people should concentrate on UP as well. Why? I meant to say was that one should out of their state only after the base there is strong. One should motivate the people of other states only after you have done it in your state. I had only started going out when farmers in Haryana had closed all toll plazas. Be rest assured, we are part of the same platform and team. STANDALONE QUOTE In Haryana, we had been protesting since September 10 and our brothers in Punjab had been protesting at their end too. But, it was only after our farmers who breached 64 barricades to reach Karnal that the agitation got a new direction.

The Times of India

2021-11-28

Chandigarh