‘Fixed price for paddy sowing’: Farm labourers’ unions sad with Samyukta Kisan Morcha strategy

A silent rift has began to look within the farmers’ protest at Delhi borders in opposition to the three contentious farm legal guidelines that had been handed by the Central authorities in September final 12 months.
Sources claimed that farm labourers’ unions are sad with the response of farmer unions over the difficulty of alleged discrimination in opposition to farm labourers in Punjab. Some labour unions have claimed that some farmers and villages in Punjab had been fixing labour costs for paddy sowing arbitrarily in “a self-styled manner”.
“There are some cases that have come to our knowledge so far. There is a need to take a strict stand against any village that has decided to fix paddy sowing prices without consultation with farm labourers first. These villages go to the extent of passing resolutions to boycott any farmer or labourer who does not abide by their paddy sowing prices. This is economic discrimination against farm labourers, who are poor,” mentioned Lachman Singh of Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, which is carefully related to the Bhartiya Kisan Union Ugrahan.

Singh added that the farmer and the labourer unions had been on the identical web page when it got here to the three contentious farm legal guidelines, because it affected them equally. But when it got here to highlighting problems with discrimination, then their voices had began to barely differ.
“Farmers and labourers are both on the same page in protesting against the three contentious farm laws. However, when it comes to the aspect of equality between the farmers and labourers, there is still a long way to go. There are big landlords involved who are pushing for anti-farm labour resolutions.”
Earlier this week, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) had issued a press release in opposition to such ‘discriminatory’ resolutions handed by any panchayat.
“We have issued a statement against such discriminatory resolutions. We are all for the unity of farmers and labourers. We have to fight against the Central government jointly. We have asked villagers to settle the issue of paddy sowing labour prices by holding talks with labourers,” mentioned Jagmohan Singh.

However, Bhagwant Singh Samaon of Punjab Mazdoor Mukti Morcha accused the farmer unions of not doing sufficient to both spotlight or finish the alleged caste discrimination.
Samaon mentioned, “I am not satisfied with SKM statement. They should have given a call to boycott any village or farmer who passed such anti-labourer resolution. But farmer unions are not taking this issue up seriously. We all know that Bhartiya Janta Party has been working very hard to make inroads in Punjab and is focusing on Dalit farm labourers. We have seen how there are regular attempts to exploit the differences between farmers and labourers for political gain. Our organisation supports farm agitation. But the farmer unions too should focus on labour laws.”