JOIN USPunjab farmer outfit triumphant at Delhi borders struggling in poll fray
Hoardings glorifying noted farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal as the ‘hero of the battle fought on Delhi borders’ against the now-repealed three farm laws appear prominently in Samrala rural in Punjab’s Ludhiana and elsewhere too. They bring back memories of the arduous struggle by farmers against the union government’s decision to legislate the contentious agri laws.
A cavalcade of about four-five vehicles led by a jeep with a loudspeaker mounted atop takes Rajewal across dozens of villages as the 79-year old, sporting a green turban — a mark of the Kisan movement — tries to connect with voters in the backdrop of triumph of the yearlong farmer movement. Rajewal is the CM face of the fledgling Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM), a political party that was born out of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella front that spearheaded the Kisan movement on Delhi borders and elsewhere.
But much of the fervour and support at the Delhi borders, the unison among farmers and that ‘never say die’ attitude appears all missing in Punjab for the rookie farmer-political outfit that has thrown its hat in the electoral ring. The SSM is arguably losing steam in the Punjab hinterland with limited support and a waning crowd. Rajewal had big expectations coming straight out of the inconceivable victory that forced PM Modi to relent in the face of a resolute protracted protest by farmers.
So what went wrong for the farmer outfit that is even failing to connect with farmers in this poll-bound agrarian state? Rajewal admits to lapses saying they are battling financial constraints and suffer for want of a political organisational structure. “We don’t have experience in politics. That is why we face new challenges daily,” he said. The SSM is in poll fray jointly with another farmer outfit – Gurnam Singh Chaduni’s Samyukt Sangharsh Party (SSP).
The decision by the SSM to jump into the poll fray is perhaps not going down well with the electorate, including farmers, who view this political trajectory against the principles of farmer organizations. The SSM had the support of some two dozen farm organizations when it first announced its political ambitions. Nearly half of them have abandoned the SSM. Its candidates are deserting the party.
Prominent farmer outfit, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan), which has sizable influence in Sangrur and parts in Malwa region, is not supporting SSM. The union's head Joginder Singh Ugrahan said they cannot compromise on principles. Even as the SSM has put up some well-educated faces to contest elections, the transformation from a union format into a political outfit took place in haste with elections round the corner. Rajewal is a known face in Punjab since he has been associated with unionism for the farmer cause for almost five decades now. Whatever momentum the SSM garnered was somewhat lost when the party sat across the table to negotiate an alliance with the AAP.
The crucial Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, the umbrella organisation, has already distanced itself from the SSM. The distribution of tickets has remained controversial and flawed leading to strong criticism. Dr Swaiman Singh, who camped on Delhi borders providing medical and other support to farmers, in a tweet said he is ‘highly disappointed at some of the candidates selected by SSM so far. I hope they do better. My Punjab deserves better’.
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