BKU Ekta Ugrahan president Joginder Singh Ugrahan tests positive for coronavirus

Sameer Singh

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, March 20

BKU Ekta-Ugrahan state president, Joginder Singh Ugrahan has tested positive for COVID-19 and admitted to a private hospital in Bathinda.

Ugrahan complained of breathlessness and uneasiness following which, he was admitted at the hospital on March 17. The doctors said Ugrahan has responded well to the treatment so far and his condition is quite stable now and likely to be discharged from the hospital in 3-4 days.

Notably, septuagenarian Joginder Singh Ugrahan, originally a native of Ugrahan village in Sangrur district is a tall farm union leader who has been spearheading the farmers’ agitation against the repeal of three contentious agricultural laws at Delhi-Tikri border for almost four months now.

He has been calling the shots when it comes to key decision-making with regard to holding meetings and devising strategy to strengthen and taking forward the farmers’ agitation so far.

Talking to The Tribune, Gursewak Singh, manager of Nivaran Hospital, said, “After he complained of breathlessness and fever, Joginder Ugrahan was admitted at the hospital on March 17. Later, he was tested positive for COVID-19. He is in isolation ward now. But as per information from doctors treating him, Ugrahan has recovered well and likely to be discharged from here in 3 to 4 days.”

Shingara Singh Mann, president of BKU Ekta-Ugrahan, Bathinda, said, “Indeed it does affect your movement a bit especially in the absence of a leader of Joginder Ugrahan’s standing and stature but on the whole it would not impact the agitation to a large degree. Ugrahan’s schedule was planned for Punjab and he had been attending meetings and holding rallies in the state since March 12 and was to return to Tikri after March 23. After illness, he had to admitted but his condition has improved a lot and there is nothing to be worry about now. He will be discharged and after taking rest for few days, he will rejoin the agitation.”

When asked as to who will be holding rallies and meetings in his absence, Mann said, “There is no such thing that only one leader calls the shot in the union, we have number of farm union leaders. We have assigned duties to our other leaders to fill-in for him as a stop-gap arrangement before Ugrahan again takes over.”