Haryana farmer unions, khaps to join agitation if talks fail

Will seek help from Delhi farmers as well, says Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni)

Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) national president Gurnam Singh Charuni addressing the Haryana farmers’ maha panchayat at Kurukshetra in Haryana on February 18, 2024. | Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy

Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) national president Gurnam Singh Charuni on February 18 said the farmer unions and khap panchayats in Haryana would put up a united fight with the protesting Punjab farmer organisations in support of their demands if the talks with the government fail.

He also announced a four-member committee to initiate discussions with Delhi farmers and seek their support.

Mr. Charuni made the announcement after the representatives of several farmer organisations, khaps and toll committees [set up by farmers during the earlier agitation to hold protests at toll plazas] met at Brahm Sarovar here to discuss the situation arising out of the farmers’ agitation. Mr. Charuni said the strategy to take forward the agitation would be formulated on the basis of the outcome of the meeting between the farmers and the government on Sunday evening.

Thousands of protesting farmers from Punjab are presently camping on the Haryana boundary, after they were stopped from marching to Delhi to raise their demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP).

The BKU (Charuni), which enjoys considerable support among farmers in north Haryana, was a constituent of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, which had spearheaded the 13-month-long farmers’ agitation against the three farm laws. The group has, however, stayed away from the ongoing agitation till now.

‘Nothing short of MSP law’

Sarv Khap Panchayat co-ordinator Om Prakash Dhankar, who is also member of the committee that will hold a meeting with Delhi farmers, said there was no need for the Punjab farmers to bring tractors to the national capital as the “farmers in Delhi have around 12,000 tractors and are ready to join us”.

He added that a message was passed on to those holding deliberations with the government not to agree to anything less a legislation on the MSP. “We don’t trust this government. It is a government of false assurances. The laws change overnight under this regime. We have told our Punjab brethren not to agree to an ordinance on the MSP,” said Mr. Dhankar, adding that the farmer organisations would also support the proposed lawyers’ protest against electronic voting machines.

To a question, Mr. Dhankar told mediapersons that the farmers were ready to reach Delhi without tractors if the government would arrange for their food and shelter till their demands were met.

Earlier addressing the meeting, Mr. Dhankar suggested two more additions in the farmers’ charter of demands – withdrawal of Agniveer scheme for recruitment in Army as well as boycott of electronic voting machines.

Gram Swaraj Vikas Morcha national convener Manoj Sehrawat said around 35 organisations met in Jind on February 14 and decided to hold pakaa morcha (permanent front) across the State. “We have already set up ‘pakka morcha’ at Titoli in Rohtak and Panjuana in Sirsa,” said Mr. Sehrawat.

Most of the speakers, including women, at the meeting said all farmer organisations must join hands, else the struggle would be prolonged. Another farmer leader Pradeep Hooda said the farmers also need to make correct political choices, since the descendants of legendary farmer leaders such as Chaudhary Charan Singh and Chaudhary Devi Lal had ended up siding with the government. “We reposed faith in Dushyant Chautala [Jannayak Janta Party leader], but he also supported the BJP,” said Mr. Hooda.