Shambhu (Punjab): There is a divide among the farmers protesting in Shambhu, on the border of Punjab and Haryana. This division has intensified after the BJP’s victory in the Haryana assembly elections. After the Bharatiya Janata Party government regained power in Haryana, many farmer leaders started distancing themselves from Shambhu Morcha.
Farmer leaders Manjit Singh Rai and Amarjit Singh Mohri have distanced themselves from the ongoing farmers’ protest at the Shambhu border. They have started avoiding the protest. Farmer leaders at the Shambhu border have also started taunting each other in hushed tones. Some farmer leaders have accused others of using the protest to further their own political ambitions.
At the center of this disintegration are the growing tensions surrounding Haryana’s farmer leaders Sarwan Pandher and Jagjeet Dallewal. They are being accused of engaging in ‘backdoor deals,’ trying to broker agreements with the Supreme Court’s committee as if they were reality show contestants scrambling for a last-minute alliance. Mark your calendars for October 18th, the much-anticipated meeting between Sarwan Pandher and Jagjeet Dallewal and the Supreme Court’s high-powered committee, chaired by retired Justice Nawab Singh, will take place.Will they finally agree on something? Or will it be just another episode of finger-pointing?
The protest at the Shambhu Border, which began with hopes tied to the Haryana elections, was once seen as a platform to voice the farmers’ demands. However, the BJP’s victory in the elections dashed any hope of a Congress-led government and the farmers’ dreams of breaking through the barricades. Now, amidst this bitter political aftermath, sources reveal that there’s more than just external pressure on these leaders. The real battle lies within.
Allegations are flying left and right – some leaders are allegedly dragging out the protest, while others are simply refusing to compromise. Manjeet Singh Rai and Amarjeet Mori, not ones to stay silent, have publicly distanced themselves from the protest, throwing shade at Sarwan Pandher and Jagjeet Dallewal, claiming they’re pushing their own agendas instead of truly representing the farmers.