4 days ago
SKM urges all parties to clarify stance on Punjab's land pooling policy at live-streamed meeting
In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has called an all-party meeting on Friday at Kisan Bhawan, Chandigarh, where they will be asked to state their position on Punjab's contentious land pooling policy.
The land pooling policy, under which the Punjab government plans to acquire over 40,000 acres of land across the state—primarily in Ludhiana district—has faced widespread opposition from farmers and their unions.
The meeting aims to hold both ruling and Opposition parties accountable regarding land pooling and other key policy matters concerning the farming sector in general.
'We have sent invites to political parties like the AAP, Congress, BJP, SAD and BSP, whose MLAs are present in the Vidhan Sabha. Besides these, we have also invited Left parties like the CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML), Revolutionary Marxist Party of India (RMPI), and the five-member recruitment committee, a rebel faction of the SAD. We are yet to receive confirmation from anyone. However, designated seating will be arranged for all invited political representatives. Let's see who comes and what they say,' said Reminder Singh Patiala, member of the SKM's national coordination committee, while speaking to The Indian Express on Thursday.
Apart from the land pooling policy, the all-party meeting will focus on Punjab's water crisis and water distribution, free trade agreements with the US and other countries, and the deteriorating condition of cooperative societies in the state.
'These are pressing issues that affect the future of farming and rural livelihoods, and we expect every political party to share their position transparently,' said Harinder Singh Lakhowal, another member of the SKM's national coordination committee.
The meeting will begin at 11 am on Friday. Each political party will be given time to present its views and suggestions. This will be followed by a direct question-and-answer session between farmer leaders and party representatives.
Attendance inside the main meeting hall will be restricted to nominated senior leaders from the SKM-affiliated farmer unions and political leaders.
Other attendees will be able to watch the proceedings on LCD screens installed inside Kisan Bhawan, and the event will also be live-streamed, said SKM leaders.
'This will be a rare, head-on interaction where party representatives must explain their stands openly in a live discussion,' said Buta Singh Burjgill, president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Dakaunda) and a member of the SKM's national coordination committee.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan), the largest farmer union in Punjab and also a member of SKM, has announced it will not participate in the meeting. 'We have no hope from any political party. Though we are part of the SKM, we believe in struggling for our rights rather than relying on political assurances. Hence, we will not be part of this meeting,' said Jhanda Singh Jethuke, senior vice-president of BKU (Ugrahan), in a statement issued to The Indian Express.
Around 35 farmer unions of Punjab will be part of this meeting, however, according to the SKM.
As part of a broader campaign under the banner 'Save Land, Water, and Punjab', the SKM's Punjab unit has also announced a series of protests in the coming weeks. These include a massive farmers' rally on August 24 at Mullanpur Mandi in Ludhiana against the land pooling policy and tractor and flag marches across villages affected by the land pooling policy on July 30, said Raminder Singh Patiala.
