Bathinda: Differences have emerged within the Punjab chapter of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) over staging a morcha in Chandigarh from Sept 1, with two major farm organisations disassociating themselves from the decision over a demand to annul all water-sharing agreements.BKU Ekta Ugrahan and Kisan Sangharsh Committee Punjab have opposed the demand, saying it could create differences between farmer groups in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan and is not in the spirit of a broader national farmers’ movement. They have also objected to their names being used in a joint statement issued on Aug 14 announcing the demands.The statement was issued in the names of three presidium members — BKU Ekta Ugrahan president Joginder Singh Ugrahan, All India Kisan Sabha Punjab president Baldev Singh Nihalgarh and Kisan Sangharsh Committee Punjab president Sukhdev Singh Araianwala — after a meeting on Aug 14 at which, among other demands, the state govt was asked to annul water-sharing agreements.Ugrahan and Araianwala on Tuesday disassociated themselves from the statement, saying it did not reflect decisions taken at the meeting.“The banner of SKM should not be used for the morcha. Those farm groups that want to go ahead should do so in the name of individual organisations, as all SKM constituents are not on the same page on certain demands,” Ugrahan told TOI.Ugrahan said the focus should instead be on a broader farmers’ movement against what he termed anti-farmer decisions by the central govt, including free trade agreements covering farm and dairy sectors. “We should avoid issues that cause heartburn among stakeholders in different states against each other. Thus, not in favour of this morcha to be held in the name of SKM,” he said.Nihalgarh, however, said the decision to start the morcha was taken by the “majority of the Punjab chapter of SKM” and only one or two organisations differed. “We are not against any other state but strongly want to protect Punjab’s rights to water. We will continue with the morcha. If a couple of organisations do not agree with any of the demands, it is their individual decision and not a collective decision of SKM,” he said.Nihalgarh said hundreds of activists would move towards Chandigarh for the morcha on Sept 1.SKM led the year-long farmers’ protest at Delhi’s borders in 2020-21 against the now-repealed farm laws, forcing the BJP-led Centre to withdraw the legislation.
