Lack of coordination among farm unions comes to the fore

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, November 30

The lack of coordination and differences have started surfacing among the farmer unions of Punjab protesting against the three farm laws at the Delhi borders. Farmers under the three platforms — Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), a group of 30 farm organisations and Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) — are protesting against the laws in the state.

As a joint forum of 30 farm unions held a meeting for the future course of action at the Singhu border, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan), the biggest farm union in Punjab, organised a separate meeting at the Tikri border in Delhi. KMSC is protesting at the Kundli border.

Though all farm union agreed to clear the railway tracks in the state, farmers under the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee are still squatting on the track at Jandiala Guru near Amritsar. It seems all three platforms are leading their protest separately and lack coordination.

However, an effort was made today to resolve these differences. The group of 30 kisan unions today sent an invite to BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) to attend its meeting to decide on the future course of action, which the latter accepted.

Talking to The Tribune over phone, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) leader Shingara Singh Mann said: “These things do happen when you stage such a big agitation, there were issues pertaining to area where to stage the protest but now all issues have been resolved.” He said the group of 30 farm unions had sent them an invite and they would attend its meeting.

First major differences between the farm unions appeared when the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) took the decision to stage a protest at interstate borders at Dabwali and Khanaori. Later, when its decision to stay back here instead of marching to Delhi was questioned, the union did a U-turn. Blaming other farm unions for not keeping them in the loop, it headed to Delhi.