Won't contest in Punjab assembly polls, clarifies Samyukta Kisan Morcha
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As twenty-two farm organisations in Punjab that were part of the protest against three central farm laws has announced that they would contest the upcoming state assembly polls, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which had led the farmers' stir against the laws clarified it is not contesting Punjab assembly elections
SKM leaders Darshan Pal and Jagjeet Singh Dallewal in a statement said that it was not contesting the Punjab assembly elections.
They said that the SKM, which is a platform of more than 400 different ideological organisations across the country, was formed only on the issues of farmers.
There is no call for the boycott of elections and even no understanding of contesting elections, the SKM leaders said, adding that it was made by the people to get their rights from the government and after the repeal of the three laws, the struggle has been postponed.
Farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, started protesting at Delhi border points -- Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur -- on November 26 last year against the three contentious farm laws.
The laws were repealed by Parliament on November 29, but farmers continued their protest over their pending demands such as a committee for legal guarantee for MSP and withdrawal of police cases against farmers, among others.
The protest was suspended on December 9 after the government agreed to fulfil the pending demands The status of the remaining demands will be decided in a meeting on January 15, the SKM leaders said in the statement.
Regarding 32 organisations in Punjab, they said that there was no consensus ongoing jointly in this assembly election.
It has been decided that the individuals or organisations participating in the elections cannot use the names of the SKM or 32 organisations, the leaders said.
Doing so will result in disciplinary action, they warned in the statement.
Out of 32 farm bodies, Krantikari Kisan Union, BKU Krantikari, BKU Sidhupur, Azad Kisan Committee Doaba, Jai Kisan Andolan, Dasuha Ganna Sangharsh Committee, Kisan Sangharsh Committee Punjab, Lok Bhalai Insaaf Welfare Society and Kirti Kisan Union Punjab have taken a stand against contesting elections.
Meanwhile, on SKM deciding not to contest the assembly polls, Farmer leader Kulwant Singh Sandhu reacted that the SKM comprised 475 organisations while Punjab had 32 farm bodies. He said they are not using the SKM's name for fighting the polls.
