Madhya Pradesh farmer leader Shivkumar Kakka retracted allegations against Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni during a Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) meeting on January 19, 2021, stating that his comments were “inappropriate.”
Earlier, the SKM had distanced itself from the BKU leader, and called for a committee to inquire into the claims that Chaduni met various political leaders at Delhi Constitution Club on January 17 after sending them a letter about the on-going struggle. However, Kakka withdrew his “inappropriate” statement in front of the farmers’ committee on Tuesday.
“The well-being of the farmers’ movement is of utmost priority,” said Kakka.
Regarding his involvement with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Kakka said that he was never a member of the RSS although he was associated with Bhartiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) until 2012 when the BJP-government suspended and jailed him. From that time onwards, Kakka said he has had no association with Bhartiya Kisan Sangh either.
Meanwhile, the Coordination Committee members consisting of Dr Darshanpal, Jagjeet Singh Dallewala, Balbir Singh Rajewal, Hannan Mollah and Yogendra Yadav welcomed Kakka’s clarifications and decided to put an end to this matter. They also urged all protestors to avoid making mutual allegations and counter-allegations.
Accordingly, leaders continued planning of other programmes such as the Republic Day parade on January 26. SKM members talked to senior officials of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana police on January 18 for the execution of the parade. Similarly, they expressed sincere hope that talks with the government on January 20 will result in the government agreeing to farmers’ demands.
The SKM also received more reports from Jharkhand, Odisha, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Maharashtra and other places about celebrating Mahila Kisan Diwas on Monday.
The Kisan Jyoti Yatra being organised by the National Alliance for People’s Movement (NAPM) with youth participation entered Rajasthan after crossing Gujarat on its eighth day. Likewise, a large delegation of Odisha farmers associated with Navanirman Krushak Sanghatan entered Uttar Pradesh after crossing Bihar.
Other indefinite agitations of the farmers’ struggle such as relay hunger strikes continue at different borders such as the Tikri border, Singhu border, Ghazipur border and Shahjahanpur border.
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