All farmer unions to meet in Patiala on Jan 15 to sink their differences
In a major development, farmer leaders who were not on the same page for over a year will sit together at Patiala on January 15 to end their differences.
The decision was taken after a delegation of farmers led by SKM All India leaders, including BKU 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 over 15 minutes.
After meeting Dallewal, all three forums -- Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM All India) SKM Non-Political and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) decided to meet again on January 15.
It was said that the coordination committee of all stakeholders, including SKM All India, SKM Non-Political and KMM, will meet on January 15 to form a common minimum programme to initiate a unified struggle of Kisan Andolan 2.0.
Rajewal said the unions might have differences and different approaches but their target is the same: the Centre.
Ugrahan thanked the farmers affiliated to SKM Non-Political for giving them a warm welcome. He said no leader from any group would make a statement in the media that triggered differences.
SKM Non-Political leader Kaka Singh Kotra said the 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 Kisan Andolan 1. I hope the unions affiliated with SKM All India will join the Morcha at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders," said Kotra.
During the Moga Mahapanchayat on Thursday, the SKM All India passed the Ekta Resolution, emphasising the need for a broad unity among various unions to press for their long-standing demands.
It was decided that a six-member committee along with a Jatha comprising 101 farmers would visit the Shambhu and Khanauri borders with a copy of eight-point resolution passed during the Moga Mahapanchayat, said Prem Singh Bhangu, SKM All India leader.
