Kurukshetra: His unique protests made him farmers’ voice, now they want him in Assembly

Now, his supporters in Kurukshetra want to send him to the Haryana Assembly.

“If we have only one MLA from among the agitators, then we might not have to resort to agitations for each and every demand,” says Gulab Singh, 78.

A farmer from Mankpur village of Ambala district, Gulab Singh spend hours every day campaigning for Chaduni in Ladwa Assembly constituency from where the BKU leader is in the fray as an independent candidate.

However, it is Chaduni who guides his supporters on how they can reach the voters without spending much money. “Form as many teams as you can engage. We don’t have dearth of volunteers. These teams should approach each and every family,” says Chaduni while leading a team of 50 farmers in Pipli town.

Even senior functionaries in the government admit his influence in many pockets of the state. “His unique ideas got the attention of government several times,” says a former Haryana DGP, who did not wish to be named.

Recently Chaduni had led a dharna in the waters of flooded Begna river in Ambala district for five days for release of dues of sugarcane farmers. He had ended the agitation only after the government agreed to release the dues of Rs 70 crore.

In past 27 years, Chaduni has several times opted for unique protest methods such as marching shirtless or throwing potatoes on the state highway. A few months back, Chaduni along with other farmers had climbed atop an 80-feet tall water tank demanding purchase of entire crop of sunflower. He had come down only after the government agreed to purchase the entire produce.

He belongs to Chaduni Jatan village of Kurukshetra district. “I could not clear class 10 because of the pressure of agriculture works at our fields. In 1992, BKU leaders had come to my village looking for volunteers to join the farmers’ stir. The villagers handed over me to them. That’s how my journey started in the farmers’ agitation,” says Chaduni.

“Agriculture has become a profession of losses. Only united farmers can force the government to hear their voice. The election is an important occasion to reach to more and more people,” he says.