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Punjab’s largest farm union wants to be armed, cites threat from radicals
Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan), which was at the forefront of the farmers’ agitation against the Centre’s farm laws, has applied for more than 150 arms licences for its office-bearers spread across Punjab’s 23 districts, citing threat perception from radical elements
Chandigarh: Punjab’s largest farmer organisation, the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan), that was at the forefront of the year-long agitation against the Centre’s farm laws at West Delhi’s Tikri border in 2020, has cited “radical and local threat perceptions” to seek more than 150 arms licences for its office-bearers.
Led by army veteran Joginder Singh Ugrahan, 77, the ultra-left leaning union met chief minister Bhagwant Mann on October 7 and sought from him to facilitate arms licences in the name of its office-bearers in the districts depending on the requirement and need.
“We are seeking up to seven arm licences in each district, depending on the local threat perception. The licences are being procured in the names of our office-bearers. I don’t think it can be denied as the applicants are law-abiding and have a clean track record,” said BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) general secretary and Ugrahan’s right hand man Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan.
Jagrup Singh Sekhon, former head of the political science department of Guru Nanak Dev University, sees the move by the farmers’ body as a way of offensive defence. “They have raised an organisation for 30 years which was formally constituted in 2002, and in my opinion they do not want to bow under any pressure now,” he added.
Commenting on the rise in gun culture in the state, Sekhon said: “In my opinion, it’s out of compulsion and not a show off.”
Reject CM’s offer of Punjab Police security
Chief minister Mann is learnt to have offered Punjab Police security cover to the farm body leaders but they rejected his proposal. “We rejected the security cover by the state police as our cadres are sufficient to protect us,” Kokri Kalan said.
The BKU faction with the highest number of activists draws its support from the Malwa belt, comprising south Punjab districts. It put up a structured protest against the now-repealed farm laws at Tikri, while all other farmer unions were protesting at Delhi’s northwest border of Singhu. The protest was a well-oiled operation executed in a regimented manner, with the members managing their own security. The union holds protests separately though it backs larger programmes of the other farm organisations.
Sophisticated weapons to counter radicals
Asked about the choice of weapons, Kokri Kalan said: “The organisation will opt for sophisticated weapon bores, as a .12 bore can’t fire effectively beyond 10 metres.”
Refusing to name anyone in particular, he said: “Some radical elements with sophisticated weapons are openly threatening our faction leaders. We can’t just sit silent.”
When contacted, Punjab principal secretary, home, Anurag Verma expressed ignorance of the farmers’ organisation seeking arms licences. “However, I’m sure the local police and the district administration will apply due diligence in dealing with such cases,” he said.
