Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann to meet BKU leaders today

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, April 5

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will have his first crucial meeting with the leaders of Bhartiya Kisan Union (EKTA Ugrahan) here on Tuesday afternoon.

The meeting is scheduled in the backdrop of the farmers’ protest against the alleged denial of compensation for cotton crop loss to many farmers.

The meeting is important as it will set the tone of the relations between the Aam Aadmi Party with the farmers, who have remained “politically volatile” since the three central farm laws were passed (these were later repealed last year).

AAP has come to power riding high on its extensive support to protesting farmers, who were on a year-long dharna at the borders of Delhi. It is for this reason, as a goodwill gesture, that within three days of taking over the reins of Punjab, the AAP government had released Rs 101 crore as compensation to farmers for crop damage due to pink bollworm.

In the run-up to the elections, there was also a time when AAP was “seriously” considering an electoral tie-up with a political formation of farmers. The talks failed and the farmers’ political formation, Sanyukt Samaj Morcha, failed miserably in the election, while AAP won 92 of the 117 assembly seats.

Officials in the government told The Tribune that the meeting on Tuesday is only about the recent incident in Muktsar wherein members of BKU (EKTA Ugrahan) and Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union had held revenue officers captive as some farmers in Muktsar were allegedly ignored in giving compensation for the damage to cotton crop last year.

Confirming this, Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, general secretary of BKU (EKTA Ugrahan), told The Tribune that they were hopeful of the early resolution of the issue of compensation and the “unjustified lathicharge of protesting farmers in Lambi”.