Ruchika M Khanna
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 2
If a cause (the struggle against farm laws) led to the historic unity among various farmer unions of Punjab leading to the formation of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), it is politics that threatens to divide them.
Even as a meeting was reportedly held between Balbir Singh Rajewal — chosen by the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM) to lead the farmer unions in the political arena — and top brass of the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi late last night, some of the 22 members of the Morcha seem to be still divided on a truck with AAP.
Must remain apolitical
The Sanyukt Samaj Morcha should rethink on contesting polls. We can serve society better by remaining apolitical and sticking to our cause of welfare of farmers.
—Rajinder Singh Deepsinghwala, KKU Vice-president
Some of these constituent farmer unions of SSM want to contest elections independently. This is one of the reasons that though it was initially agreed between AAP and the farmers unions to leave 30-35 (of 117) Assembly segments for the political arm of farmers, the SSM announced that they would contest all 117 seats. However, the negotiations between the two sides are reportedly still “going on”. AAP, however, has already announced its candidates for 96 segments and has in principle decided on its candidates for Majitha and Malout segments. This leaves just 19 seats on which SSM can field its candidates, when and if the alliance is finalised.
Since the SKM, which led the year-long farmers’ struggle, does not give mandate to its 32 kisan union members to contest elections or dabble with/in politics, those farmer union leaders who do decide to take the plunge, will have to resign from their posts in the unions. Failure to do so could debar their unions from the membership of the SKM, which none of the unions can afford.
Sources privy to the rise of the Morcha and developments in the SSM since it announced its foray into politics on December 25, have told The Tribune that majority of the farmer leaders are not willing to resign from their posts in the union. As a result, these farmer leaders could ask their second-rung leadership to jump into the fray. A meeting to discuss these issues was held in Jalandhar late this evening. While 10 of the 32 unions in SKM have opted not to be a part of SSM, another union — BKU Kadian — which is part of SSM, has also announced that none of its leaders would contest the polls. Union president Harmeet Singh Kadian, who had announced the formation of SSM, has announced that he will not be contesting. Meanwhile, the 10 unions which are not part of the SSM, too, have renewed their efforts to ask SSM against throwing their hat in the political ring.
Sanyukt Samaj Morcha divided over pact with AAP
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