Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), arguably, brought maximum number of peasants from Punjab to the borders of Delhi during the recently concluded farmers’ protests. Active among small and marginal farmers and among agriculture workers, this union believes that farm policies are the real villains and understanding them will make the struggles of farmers easier. The organisation’s president, Joginder Singh Ugrahan, is a 77-year-old farmer who has also served in Indian Army briefly. Known for his resolute nature, Ugrahan is also a member of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s steering committee. He talked to BusinessLine on the role of his outfit and the future of the SKM. Excerpts from the interview:

The protests in Delhi are over. What is your next plan?

The farmers have reached Punjab and we will now focus on the problems of farmers in Punjab. The State elections will be held next year. We have opposed certain policies of the Congress government in the State. The Congress had made some promises in 2017. We will remind them about those promises. We will strengthen the protests so that they implement their promises.

At the national level, struggles for legalising Minimum Support Price will be continued. Farmers’ debt and unemployment are two other major issues on which we have been protesting. The next meeting of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) scheduled on January 15 will also discuss the progress on our four pending demands including withdrawing the cases against farmers and compensation for farmers who died during the protests. We will discuss with other States too.

What will be the role of SKM in the future?

SKM will continue. We will see if there are any changes that have to be made in the structure of the SKM. There is a nine-member steering committee of the SKM. Some members of this committee may fight elections. If they are fighting elections, then they cannot continue to be in the steering committee. Some organisations need to be represented in the steering committee. All these decisions will be taken later.

What do you think is the biggest lesson from these protests?

The corporate system benefits a few people. A large number of people have been fighting this system. We will strengthen these protests against corporate houses who are supported by imperialist forces. The fight is against a big mountain. But victory is beyond this mountain. We are continuing our fights for this victory. If we fail, our next generation will continue this protests.

We are fighting a set of policies. So first, we should understand what these policies are. It’s like knowing your enemy. People should be aware of these policies. If they are aware, the fight will be easy. Awareness will instil confidence. If there is confidence and awareness, the struggle will be victorious.

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