Have no relation with farm unions who contested Punjab polls: SKM

New Delhi, Mar 16: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Wednesday said it has no relation with the two farm organisations that contested the elections in Punjab and accused them of using its name. It also threatened to initiate disciplinary action against those who participate in the events organised by the two organisations.

The SKM is the umbrella body of the farmer unions, who had spearheaded the year-long agitation against the Centre’s farm laws, which were withdrawn last year. In a meeting of the SKM in January, it was decided that any farm union associated with the umbrella body that forms a party in the Assembly elections will not remain in the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, a statement issued by the SKM said.

The Morcha had also decided that if needed, this decision would be reviewed in the month of April after the Assembly elections, the SKM said. Consequently, after this decision, farm unions and leaders who formed parties and contested elections in Punjab under the name of the Samyukta Samaj Morcha and the Samyukta Sangharsh Party were out of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, at least till April, it said.

A seven-member coordination committee of the Morcha had called a meeting of representatives of all organisations at Gandhi Peace Foundation in Delhi on March 14 to decide the manner of reviewing the decision and the upcoming programme of the Morcha. "But without waiting for the decision of the Morcha, people of the Samyukta Samaj Morcha and the Samyukta Sangharsh Party, led by Balbir Singh Rajewal and Shri Gurnam Singh Chaduni, forcibly reached the meeting place and occupied the meeting hall and started a meeting in parallel," the statement said.

"In order to avoid any untoward incident, the coordination committee decided that the delegates who came from all over the country on its invitation would hold their meeting in the open lawn outside," the statement read. The SKM said that the two farm unions "have done the ridiculous act of dissolving the coordination committee of the Morcha and declaring themselves as the Samyukta Kisan Morcha by issuing a statement in the name of Rajewal from Chandigarh".

"The statement also referred to the convening of a national meeting of the Morcha at Lakhimpur Kheri on March 21 while the Samyukta Kisan Morcha has decided to observe a nationwide day of protest on this day," the SKM said. The SKM said there is no division in the Morcha. "The SKM has no relation to the farm organisations and leaders who formed the Samyukta Samaj Morcha and the Samyukta Sangharsh Party. We still appeal to them to desist from any such act which threatens this historical unity of the farmers," the statement said. "We would like to warn all farm organisations that any organisation or leader who participates in the Lakhimpur Kheri meet on March 21 will be subject to disciplinary action in the Samyukta Kisan Morcha," they said. PTI