Key farmer unions to meet in Patiala today
Representatives of various farmer unions will meet leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha in Patiala on Saturday.
Coordinator of the two forums Sarwan Singh Pandher had sought support from all farmer unions for intensifying the Kisan Andolan 2.0.
Sources said the positive outcome would give renewed impetus to the movement. Some farm leaders, including BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) chief Joginder Singh Ugrahan, had earlier expressed disagreement with Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal. They had alleged that the two forums had been going ahead with poor planning. They had termed the Dilli Challo protest as unwarranted.
A six-member committee of the SKM-Bharat (All India), an umbrella body of farmer unions from across the country, comprising Balbir Singh Rajewal, Darshan Pal, Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Raminder Patiala, Yudhveer Singh and Hanan Mollah, would meet at Gurdwara Dukhniwaran Sahib at 11am on Saturday.
Sources said both factions had disagreement with each other. The faction led by Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher felt the farmer leaders should have refrained from contesting the Assembly election in 2022. On the other hand, the SKM-Bharat had disapproved of the violence that occurred on January 26, 2021.
Dr Darshan Pal said, “New challenges for small and medium farmers have emerged in the shape of the Centre’s draft National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing. It is time to bury the differences and form a united front. We are concerned about Dallewal’s health as he is fasting for a cause. We are expecting a positive outcome from tomorrow’s crucial meeting.”
