CHANDIGARH: The Khalistani movement in Punjab is subtly intertwining itself with the farmers’ protests. Under the guise of voicing farmers’ grievances, Khalistanis are leveraging the unrest to advance their agenda. Unions ostensibly representing the farming community are actively targeting BJP candidates during campaign trails, fuelling discord. Several such farmer unions are also agitating on non-farming issues, leading to community discord.
Recently, on 6 May, a Punjab BJP delegation, led by state president Sunil Jakhar, approached the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Sibin C., expressing concerns about the safety of party candidates amidst the campaigning and elections.
In fact Sibin C. had to ask farmers’ unions not to disrupt election campaigns of Lok Sabha candidates in the state. He made the appeal while interacting with a farmers’ delegation at his Chandigarh office. It may be added that genuine farmers in Punjab are busy not with agitations but in tending to their crops.
A statement issued by the CEO’s office said the officer has instructed all deputy commissioners-cum-district election officers, commissioners of police, and senior superintendents of police to ensure security and a level playing field for all candidates.
“The CEO stressed that ensuring the security of candidates is one of the primary responsibilities of the district election machinery and the Election Commission of India is serious about this matter,” the statement reads.
In a separate circular issued to officers, the CEO said numerous incidents of candidates being prevented from campaigning have been reported in the state. “These incidents, highlighted through various complaints and reports in the media, involving political party candidates being obstructed by agitating farmers, thereby impeding the candidates’ democratic right to campaign and convey their manifesto to the citizens of the state. Such actions go against the directions and guidelines of the ECI,” the CEO said in the missive.
Sibin C further said that gatherings by protesters calling themselves farmers are often held without permission, despite orders by the district magistrates under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. He reiterated that it was the duty of the district election machinery to follow these guidelines.
The BJP’s concerns are not unfounded, as unions purportedly representing the farming community have been actively targeting their candidates during their campaign trails. Instances of protests against BJP candidates like Hans Raj Hans in Faridkot, Preneet Kaur and Ravneet Singh Bittu in Patiala, and Tejinder Singh Sandhu in Amritsar have been reported. Such protests not only disrupt the electoral process but also pose a threat to the safety of the candidates.
The situation escalated when irate agitators held protests against BJP candidate Parampal Kaur Sidhu in Bathinda and prevented party leaders from campaigning in several villages. The arrest of Kirti Kisan Union state general secretary Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala, along with other activists, further fuelled tensions, leading to more protests outside Sadiq police station.
Such unions, particularly the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), have vowed to intensify their protests, expressing outrage over the arrest of their leaders who oppose BJP candidates. This escalation in tensions highlights the growing rift between the farming community and political parties, with the farmer unions accusing the state government of colluding with the BJP.
In response, BJP candidates like Ravneet Singh Bittu have appealed to village panchayats for support, emphasizing their past contributions to the farming community. However, the protests persist, fuelled by accusations of the BJP aligning with forces perceived as against the interests of Punjab.
In a recent case, Barnala is witnessing a confrontation between traders and farmers as the business community in the district observed a day-long bandh on Wednesday (15 May) to protest the “diktat” of local farmer unions who have been clamouring for a resolution to an alleged immigration fraud incident.
“Over 20,000 shops in Barnala will be closed against this diktat as the farmer union (Bharatiya Kisan Union Dakaunda Burjgill) has deviated from real farming issues. They are trying to run a parallel government…this is not justified. Traders across the state are fed up with the dharnas but Barnala has taken the lead to raise our voice,” Amit Kapoor, president of the Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal, told The Sunday Guardian.
The traders announced the bandh against the farmer unions’ protests over a case related to the immigration of a 27-year-old man from Shehna village in Barnala in September 2023.
The immigration company is owned by Himang Bansal. His father Sanjeev Bansal runs Bansal Tyres. “I had sent him legally. He never went to the company where I had sent him, but kept on roaming around other parts of England. Afterwards, his family started complaining that he did not have a job but he never went to that company in the first place. Still, we offered to help them, but they just want to extort money from us,” Himang claimed.
Himang said that the man can legally stay in England till 2028. “So, why are they harassing us? His parents never come for talks directly, farmer union leaders do. Why is the family hiding? How much can we tolerate now? Enough is enough,” Himang added.
With protests over the issue escalating, last Sunday a clash broke out among farmer union members and traders who had gathered outside Bansal Tyres. The farmer union members allegedly assaulted a few traders with sticks.
“The farmers had been staging a dharna outside the office of the immigration company. Later, they started sitting outside Bansal Tyres too. They did not allow them to go inside their offices for days and even disconnected the electricity connection of Bansal Tyres. This is completely illegal,” Amit Kapoor said.
Amit Kapoor also mentioned an incident when a farmers’ union played the role of extortionist while blackmailing a doctor in Bathinda. Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal and IMA Bathinda unit did a press conference collectively to expose such farmer unions and also have filed complaint on 29 December 2023.
“Why are farmer unions trying to run a parallel government? Both parties have given their applications to the police so let the law take its course. This is no way to threaten a trader…the Bansals have been threatened that union members will start a dharna outside their house as well,” Kapoor added.
“During the agitation against the farm laws, we had supported the farmers morally and financially though we suffered in our business but this particular dharna is not justified and we cannot tolerate such dharnas anymore…someone has to raise one’s voice,” Amit Kapoor told the media.
“They are deviating from farming issues and are getting personal…however, not all farmer unions are like this. There are only a few who are defaming farmer unions on the whole. They need to understand that farmers and traders go hand in hand and such dharnas should be avoided,” he added.
Traders also pointed out that chakka jams and rail rokos by agitators now and then hurt their business. Earlier in Ludhiana, the All Industries and Trade Forum had said that farmers’ protests at Shambhu and Khanauri borders were affecting their business and had announced it would stop supporting farmer unions morally and financially in the future. Amit Kapoor, speaking to The Sunday Guardian, stated that the issue is not about farmers’ concerns but about creating tension between the Hindu and Sikh communities. He emphasized that these individuals are Khalistanis disguised as farmers. Farmers in Punjab are overall law abiding and hard-working, although outside elements are claiming to be acting in their name.
The police in the Barnala case stated that they were trying to resolve the issue by talking to both sides. “We are trying to ensure the rights of both parties in a peaceful manner. We are hopeful that things will not escalate further,” Barnala Senior Superintendent of Police Sandeep Malik told media.
Doubts have been raised about the intentions of the farmers’ unions for a long time.
In the 2024 farmers’ protest, the ringleaders were preparing for this protest for a long time, bolstering their arsenal in response to police preparations. At the Shambhu border on 21 February, they were seen using fortified tractors, cranes, earthmovers, industrial gas masks, swimming goggles, riding goggles, sand-filled jute bags, latex gloves, and shields made from metallic woks.
Recent activities of such unions have exposed their ulterior motives. They have been observed creating nuisance and chaos on the roads, disrupting the routine lives of commoners, including businessmen, doctors, students, and women. Such disruptive actions not only hamper daily life but also portray the unions as extortionists. For instance, a farmer union was found blackmailing a doctor in Bathinda, leading to strong condemnation from bodies like the Indian Medical Association and the Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal, who expressed their resentment in a press conference in December 2023.