CHANDIGARH: As farmer leader Daljit Singh Dallewal's fast unto death reached its 46th day today, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) gave out a clarion call for unity for the fragmented farmers’ unions.
The SKM also convened a meeting on January 15 in a bid to end their differences.
A six-member SKM delegation along with a 101-member farmers’ jatha’ visited the Khanauri border and met leaders from the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Morcha and the SKM (Non-Political) in an effort to iron out the differences.
The meeting also was meant to unitedly take on the union government as they said that their common enemy and demands are the same.
The meeting holds significance particularly when the Union Government has been saying that the farmers are a divided lot so with whom to initiate talks.
Earlier, a delegation of farmers led by SKM including BKU Ekta-Ugrahan chief Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Dr Darshan Pal and BKU( Rajewal) chief Balbir Singh Rajewal, reached the Khanauri border and met Jagjit Singh Dallewal for about fifteen minutes to chalk out a common minimum programme.
"The whole country especially Punjab is worried about the health of Dallewal, he has taken a big step," said Rajewal.
"In the Moga rally, after the public gave us such a big mandate we have come here to tell our brother to forget our internal differences as the situation demands we should be one and fight this battle together," he said.
"Thus, we have handed over a letter to them. We will hold the meeting on January 15 work out all the modalities in this regard and all farmers union who were together in the farmers protest in 2020-21 will once again come together,’’ Rajewal added.
Rajewal said the unions might have differences and different approaches but their target is the same -- the Central Government.
Joginder Singh Ugrahan said that no leader from any group would make a statement in the media that triggered differences.
SKM Non-Political leader Kaka Singh Kotra said the central government was saying that the farmer unions were not united.
"Today we have busted that myth being circulated by the government and proceeded towards forming a unified struggle that we had initiated during the farmers protest 0.1. I hope the unions affiliated with SKM All India will join the Morcha at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders,’’ he said.
The move comes amidst growing frustration over the union government's indifference to the protests led by Dallewal and a realisation that divided efforts may fail to achieve their objectives.
"Our target should be the central government and its pro-corporate policies. There should be no attempts to compete or compare with each other," the resolution stated.
Meanwhile Dallewal has shared a two-minute and 58 second long video message targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
He said that he had been told that the Punjab unit of the BJP had approached the Akal Takht, urging the Jathedar to direct him to end his fast.
"However, I feel that the BJP leaders are going in the wrong direction. Instead of approaching the Akal Takht, they should be approaching the office of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seek his intervention to resolve the matter. You should be going to the office of Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who has already expressed his concerns on our issue. You must also visit the office of the Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and the office of Home Minister Amit Shah.’’
Dallewal said,"I once again urge the Punjab unit of BJP to seek the intervention of the Prime Minister."