Punjab’s union not on hunger strike

BATHINDA: Differences surfaced among farmer unions yet again on Monday after Punjab’s largest association, the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), announced it would not be observing the day-long hunger strike against the contentious central farm laws.

BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan said the decision was taken as the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, comprising 30 other farm organisations, did not consult it on the issue. “There is no plan to hold a hunger strike today or in the next few days,” said Kokrikalan, one of the key strategists of the union. “The joint forum kept our association out of the loop when 14 union leaders had an unscheduled meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah last week,” he said.

“The joint forum (of farmer unions) is repeatedly not taking us on board before deciding on the course of the agitation. Our association is not bound by the programmes decided by other unions. Besides continuation of agitations at Tikri border in Delhi, activists of the Ugrahan faction are holding protest marches at the district headquarters in Punjab,” he said.

Following the farmer unions’ call to protest outside offices of deputy commissioners, activists held dharnas in Sangrur and Barnala districts to oppose the farm laws.

Release of activists a dividing factor

The Left-leaning Ugrahan group had observed Human Rights Day on December 10 where the demand for the release of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Sudha Bharadwaj, and Varavara Rao, was raised.

The function was held at Tikri border, where hundreds of Ugrahan supporters have been camping since November 28. The joint forum of farmers has disassociated itself from the demand of the release of the controversial activists. However, the leadership of Ugrahan said all unions have the freedom to choose subjects to oppose or support.