No poll plunge, will set agenda: SKM

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 18

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) should act as a pressure group, and set the agenda for other political parties. This was the consensus among the 32 farmer unions that met in Mullanpur this afternoon to discuss if they can use their success in the year-long morcha to take a political plunge.

A majority of unions also said if an individual farmer leader decided to take a political plunge and contest the upcoming Assembly elections on a particular party’s ticket, it would be his individual foray and the SKM would not be seen as supporters of that particular party. This comes amid speculation of Balbir Singh Rajewal being the chief ministerial face of the Aam Aadmi Party and talks of Harmeet Singh Kadian having met the AAP top brass.

No invitation yet from CM channi

• SKM leaders said so far they had not received an invite from CM Channi for the meeting on Monday
• “We have only read about this in newspapers. We will go for the meeting together, if we get an invite,” they said
• Sources said the SKM held discussions on the issues to be raised at its meeting with the Chief Minister

Representatives of all 32 unions attended the meeting today, which lasted almost three hours. The morcha, which had started showing signs of fragmenting earlier this week, with seven unions initially going astray, also resolved that their significance as a formidable pressure group was only till the time they remained united.

Though no reference was made to the public spat between leaders — Rajewal and Jagjit Singh Dallewal — the SKM unanimously resolved that no statement against any leader would be made public, and differences (if any) would be resolved internally. Dallewal was not present at the meeting, though his union — BKU Sidhupur — was represented by Kaka Singh Kotda. The leaders did not take kindly to his group individually approaching the Punjab Government and getting the meeting of the SKM postponed.

Sources said though the meeting began by holding discussions on the issues to be raised at the SKM’s meeting with Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday, it ultimately gravitated towards focussing on public expectation from the SKM in the elections.

While some farmer leaders were reportedly in favour of collectively forming a political front, a majority opposed it, and felt their role as a pressure group would yield better results, several leaders present at the meeting told The Tribune. Examples were given regarding the earlier success of the SKM in calling all political parties of Punjab earlier this year and barring them from holding political rallies. The leaders also said they would allow toll plazas to reopen in Punjab if they were willing to operate at the same rates as prior to their closure.

“We won’t allow the toll plazas to charge even Re 1 more than what they were charging last year. Those who accept this can start operating the toll plazas,” unions said.