Raminder Singh Patiala, from Kirti Kisan Union, Punjab, was among those few farm leaders. And like other union members, he too feels that the incident could have ignited tensions between local communities which was prevented.
Despite a harsh clampdown by the UP government, some farm union leaders managed to reach Lakhimpur Kheri after the terrible violence that left 8 people dead in its wake.
Raminder Singh Patiala, from Kirti Kisan Union, Punjab, was among those few farm leaders. And like other union members, he too feels that the incident could have ignited tensions between local communities which was prevented.
Raminder said: “I visited nearby villages, Dalit bastis, Brahmin families etc. Everyone condemned this incident. By and large everyone was already aware of the acts of minister’s son…So, BJP couldn’t gain anything out of it. They lost completely.”
Raminder was part of the negotiations held with the UP administration, and said that “by and large the compromise is agreed by us all”.
“We got FIR lodged against the minister as well as his son..got compensation for families….Now the demand is to see the arrest of both culprits,” he said.
About reaching UP despite police clampdown, he added: “I was along with few of farmer union leaders of UP in the same vehicle. They knew the ways, short cuts etc. We reached at 8.30 am a day later. I even removed flag of my farmer union from my vehicle to avoid inviting attention.”
SKM member Dr Darshan Pal, who is president of Krantikari Kisan Union, said: “Ruldu Singh Mansa, from Punjab Kisan Union also reached, while Tejbir Singh, Sanjay Kauth, farmer union leaders from Haryana, also managed to reach.”
He added, “Leaders like Buta Singh Burjgill from Punjab, Ranjit Singh Raju and Himmat Gujjar from Rajasthan and Gurnam Singh Chaduni from Haryana were stopped as restrictions were imposed on Monday. However, we object to written message from UP government asking Punjab’s chief secretary not to allow anyone from Punjab to move towards UP.”
About the future course of action, he said, “We will plan our agitation if arrests don’t happen till bhog of victims. Moreover, this incident has further exposed BJP”.
Joginder Singh Ugrahan, president of BKU (Ugrahan) said, “BJP has been exposed yet again. They tried to create a tension between communities, but they failed. Such acts can be expected from government when they want to get this aandolan discredited. We want culprits behind the bars now or our agitation will start again.”
Gurnam Singh Chaduni who was placed in detention by UP police and later released, however, refused to comment on the entire compromise which happened on Monday.
He said, “I don’t want to comment on the issue.”
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