Chandigarh: The ongoing fast-unto-death of farmers’ association leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal in Faridkot is threatening to become a major spoiler for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has been using its governance model and achievements in Punjab to reach voters in Gujarat ahead of next month’s assembly elections in that state.
Dallewal is heading the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) (non-political), a conglomerate of apolitical farmers’ bodies, and has been staging a fast-unto-death since 19 November against Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s statement a day before ridiculing some farmer protests as “paid” protests.
Addressing a press conference on 18 November, Mann had lashed out at the farmers’ organisations, alleging that they were becoming habituated to holding dharnas and making money out of it. He had also claimed that dharnas are scheduled in a manner that the dates appeared to be pre-booked.
“Some farmer unions keep resorting to dharnas routinely to make their presence felt. They do this because they have to show expenditure and then also gather funds. In fact dharnas are planned one after the other almost as if they’re pre-booked,” Mann had said.
With Dallewal’s fast entering its sixth day Thursday, hundreds of supporters are converging at Tehna in Faridkot where Dallewal is camping on the road in the open.
Multiple attempts by the Faridkot district administration to persuade Dallewal to end his fast have failed.
A request was made by agriculture minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal to Dallewal Wednesday to end his fast, but the farmers’ leader didn’t relent. However, later in another interview, the minister hardened his stance and said he will meet Dallewal when there is a need to do so
Punjab Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) Speaker, Kultar Singh Sandhwan, had also visited Dallewal at the protest site Monday and requested him to end his fast, promising to talk to the government about his demands, but was unable to get him to consent.
Dallewal’s supporters are meanwhile demanding that in addition to an apology from Mann for “insulting” farmers, the government should notify those of their demands which they claim the government had agreed to but never notified. These include revocation of an amendment to the Rural Common Lands Act, 1961.
The Shiromani Akali Dal has also come out in support of Dallewal, with party president Sukhbir Singh Badal tweeting Wednesday that he had a spoken with the farmers’ leader and assured him of his party’s support.
Spoke to BKU (Ekta-Sidhupur) president S Jagjit Singh Ji Dallewal who is on fast unto death for past 5 days.Inquired about his well being & assured complete support to him. @Akali_Dal_ is a party of farmers & is committed to safeguard the rights of farming community at all costs. pic.twitter.com/uCUuBrA2CR
— Sukhbir Singh Badal (@officeofssbadal) November 23, 2022
Mann, along with several members of his cabinet colleagues, is in Gujarat to participate in roadshows organised as part of the AAP campaign for the Gujarat elections. He shared pictures of his roadshow at Mandvi Wednesday.
ਇੱਕੋ ਗੱਲ ਕਹਿ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ ਗੁਜਰਾਤ…ਆਪ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਾਬਾਦ#Mandvi ਵਾਲਿਓ ਬਹੁਤ ਬਹੁਤ ਧੰਨਵਾਦ… pic.twitter.com/1C8NNTYLw5
— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) November 23, 2022
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‘Since govt didn’t listen to demands, so continuing dharna’
Dallewal was among top leaders of last year’s farmers’ protest at the Singhu border against the now-repealed farm laws brought in by the Modi government in 2020. His organisation, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) (Sidhupur), a part of the SKM (non-political), played a defining role in the agitation that forced the Narendra Modi government to revoke the three controversial farm laws last year.
In addition to Dallewal’s fast site in Tehna in Faridkot, SKM (non-political) supporters are staging pakka dharnas (permanent protests) at five other spots in Punjab.
“We had started a protest at six places in Punjab on 16 November. This protest was to press the government to notify those decisions that were taken during multiple meetings between farmer bodies and the government in the past six months, in which the government had agreed to our demands,” said Karan Singh, who heads the Muktsar unit of BKU (Sidhupur).
The demands include revocation of an amendment brought by the Punjab government to the Rural Common Lands Act in September, allowing private land owned by private people in villages to be transferred to the village panchayat for common use.
“Since the government did not show any sign of meeting our demands, we continued our dharnas at six places on main roads,” Karan Singh told ThePrint.
During 18 November’s press conference Mann had also listed various decisions his government had taken to benefit farmers. The Punjab CM had added that his government was committed to keeping its promises to the farmers, but they should give him some time. Mann had further said that multiple dharnas led to inconveniencing people, especially those who had to reach these destinations for medical facilities and interviews.
Following Mann’s statement Dallewal gave an ultimatum to the government to notify its purported promises by the noon of 19 November, failing which he had announced he will start a fast-unto-death.
Although the protest being staged by SKM (non-political) does not have the support of other farmers’ bodies, including groups led by other leaders of last year’s agitation like Balbir Singh Rajewal and Joginder Singh Ugrahan, both these leaders have vociferously objected to Mann’s statement.
“The Chief Minister should not have given a statement like this. The AAP is a party that has its origin in dharnas and protests,” Ugrahan told the media in Punjab’s Barnala district Wednesday.
Rajewal has meanwhile termed Mann’s statement as “nonsense”.
“All his life he has been making jokes and doing politics and on such a serious issue he has spoken this nonsense. He will have to pay for his comments,” Rajewal had said Monday.
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
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