CHANDIGARH: The Punjab farmers' unions are likely to get together under one umbrella body Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) again as they have a common agenda for the implementation of their 13 demands including a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP).
As Punjab farmer leader and convener of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, Sarwan Singh Pandher, today said he has written to the SKM to join hands with the farmers protesting at Punjab-Haryana border points over various demands, including a legal guarantee on the MSP for crops.
Recently the senior leaders of SKM had met the agitating farmers of the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march, including Jagjit Singh Dallewal of SKM (non-political), who has been on a fast-unto-death agitation since November 26, at Khanauri on the Punjab-Haryana border.
The farmers' unions under the SKM spearheaded the Delhi farmers’ protest in 2020-21 but later the SKM was divided due to differences among them. The SKM is not part of the ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest which is led by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and SKM (non-political).
Farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo march' and have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by Haryana Police.
A "jatha" (group) of 101 farmers made two attempts to go to Delhi on foot on December 6 and December 8. They were not allowed to proceed by Haryana Police.
Recently BKU leader and senior SKM leader Rakesh Tikait called for unity of farmers for a "joint fight" to press the Centre to accept their demands.
Pandher who was at the Shambhu border said, "We have extended our hands to those brothers who could not participate in the Delhi andolan-2 (Delhi Chalo march). We asked them to forget whatever differences the unions have in the interests of farmers and labourers. We have written a letter to our brothers. We expect a positive message from them (SKM)."
In the letter, Pandher said they had made an attempt for unity before the start of the ongoing agitation but the efforts could not be successful then because of various reasons.
Meanwhile, Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan said they would hold a dharna outside the district headquarters on December 23 in protest against the tear gas shelling and use of water cannons against farmers protesting at the Shambhu border.
Besides a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops, the farmers are demanding a debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in the electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21 are also part of their demands.
