FARMER LEADERS ON THE TALKS TABLE JOGINDER UGRAHAN (72) GURNAM SINGH CHARUNI (62)
As the Central government has invited representatives of all the farmer organisations from Punjab for talks, some of them will play a crucial role in the talks. Here are some of the key negotiators:
BALBIR SINGH RAJEWAL (78)
Head of a faction of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), Rajewal is the brain behind the planning of the farmer unions. The BKU (Rajewal) has sizeable presence in the central Punjab districts. During the ongoing protests, all communications with the Centre is being made in consultation with him. He takes an active part in the protests and is currently at the Singhu border in Delhi.
DARSHAN PAL (68)
A qualified anesthesiologist, Pal left his job as a doctor in the state health department in 2003. The Krantikari Kisan Union he heads may not have large number of farmer members, but he has a lot of say in the ongoing protests. He can bring the national farmer leaders on a common platform. His union has following in Patiala, Ferozepur, Bathinda, Mansa, Fazilka and Faridkot districts.
He heads the BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) that has a sizeable following in Malwa besides some Majha districts. It is the largest farmer union in Punjab. Ugrahan served in the army and then worked as a teacher. When the farm laws were enacted, his outfit laid siege outside former CM Parkash Singh Badal’s residence, forcing Harsimrat Badal to quit the Union cabinet.
JAGMOHAN SINGH PATIALA (60)
He is general secretary of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Dakaunda) which is active in the Patiala, Sangrur, Barnala and Bathinda districts. A post-graduate in political science and a trained acupuncturist, he is the face of the outfit in Malwa. He went to jail at the age of 18 during the Moga agitation in the 1970s. Though he comes from a family having affiliation with the Congress, he chose to be a Leftist.
Head of BKU (Charuni), he unsuccessfully contested the 2019 assembly polls as an independent. He joined the Aam Aadmi Party in 2014 but was refused ticket due to his conviction in an attempt to murder case. He has a say among Punjabi farmers in Haryana. He led farmers in breaking through barricades put up by Haryana Police and a case was registered against him.