Unity of SKM important, says Balbir Rajewal

All these unions members were also part of Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM), the political party which contested Assembly polls. SKM members have stated a number of times that SSM members are not part of SKM and they can join SKM after dissolving SSM.

Prem Singh Bhangu, president of All India Kisan Federation (AIKF), said, “We met on Tuesday under the banner of farmer unions and not SSM. Already in SKM, there are so many persons who had contested elections at one time or the other. This is the reason we maintained that we stand for the unity of SKM on the basis of principles. Rajewalji is a senior member of SKM and he was the one who brought all unions under SKM’s platform. All SKM members need to remember that.”

After farm laws were repealed, 32 farmer unions split into three different groups: one faction formed SSM, another wasn’t part of SSM but supported their candidates indirectly and the third faction stayed away from both. Bhangu said, “On Tuesday, we met on farmer unions front and decided it shouldn’t be mixed with SSM.”

Rajewal said, “Organisations have decided to hold a big rally on August 5 at Amb Sahib Gurdwara, Mohali, for demanding canal water for the entire cultivable land of Punjab as the underground water is depleting day by day and tubewell irrigation has become costlier.”

Rajewal said the other demands are total debt waiver of farmers and agriculture workers, 15- hour uninterrupted supply of electricity for tubewells and 24-hour supply for domestic consumption, remunerative prices of all agriculture produces as per Dr M S Swaminathan formula C2+50% and their assured market and permanent solution to the problems of stray animals in the state.

The meeting was attended by Kanwalpreet Singh Pannu, state president of Kisan Sangharash Committee; Bogh Singh Mansa, state president, BKU (Mansa); Nirbhai Singh, Gurdip Singh, Harminder Singh and Jagtar Singh of BKU (Rajewal); Prem Singh Bhangu, president, Zora Singh, general secretary, Iqbal Singh and Pawan Kumar Sogalpur of AIKF; Harjinder Singh Tanda of Azad Kisan Sangharash Committee and many others.

The meeting decided to start a campaign in the state from July 15 to 31 for plantation of trees in order to protect the environment.

Allegations about funds

Replying to the mismanagement of ?1.5 crore by few SKM members in their May 28 meeting, Bhangu said that ?80 lakh is with Harmeet Singh Kadian group, Rs 14 lakh with Manjit Singh Rai of Doaba Kisan Committee, Rs 11.40 lakh with Devinder Khatri, Rs 56 lakh was with Jagjit Singh Dallewal and he had claimed that the money was spent, so he can explain about that expenditure (Rs 56 lakh) in a better manner.