Barnala ‘public welfare rally’: Only struggle, not polls, can solve farmers’ issues: BKU (Ugrahan) leaders

IN THE election season when prominent political leaders are holding rallies to woo the voters in Punjab, it was a show of strength with a difference as a sea of yellow ‘dupattas’ and turbans swept the Barnala grain market on Thursday. The well-attended ‘public welfare rally’ of Bharti Kisan Union (Ugrahan) affirmed the outfit’s stand to carry on with ‘struggle’ and stay away from direct participation in elections.

“We are not supporting any political party. Our supporters are free to exercise their right to vote as they desire. Our union has never been part of electoral politics as we know that all political parties are the same,” said Shingara Singh Mann, the farmer body’s senior vice-president.

Addressing the rally, BKU (Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan said, “For real welfare of the people, there is a dire need to implement the land reforms in letter and spirit by ending the hold of feudal lords and corporates on agriculture. There is a need to check money-laundering, put brakes on attempts to privatise the government institutions and departments, and to open the government treasury for the welfare of the common people.”

Union’s state president Joginder Singh Ugrahan said the experience of the last 70 years shows that the ruling parties did little in implementing policies and laws that could have helped the poor. “All the ruling parties have been implementing the pro-corporate and pro-feudalism policies with great enthusiasm after 1991.

He said had governments been performing well, they (farmers) wouldn’t have been struggling. “All political parties work on the near-same policies. We stand by our belief that struggle is the only way to make governments deliver,” Ugrahan said.

Outfit’s senior vice-president Jhanda Singh Jethuke said that “whatever the people gained until now, it came through struggle, not elections”.

State president of Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union Lachman Singh Sewewala said issues like unemployment, inflation, debt, environmental degradation, casteism can be dealt with only if there is rightful distribution of land among farmers and farm-labourers.

Under the aegis of Amolak Singh of Punjab Lok Sabhyacharak Manch, the team of Jaswinder Pappi of Manavta Kala Manch Nagar presented the theme song “Votan da Bharam todo, lok takat jodo”. Apart from Inqlabi Jatha, Rasoolpur; Jugraj Dhaula, Mithu Singh Kilabharian, Dharminder Masani, Ajmer Singh Aklia, Nargis and Sarbjit Maur presented revolutionary songs, highlighting the ‘divisive politics’ of the political parties.