Farm unions are intensifying efforts to bring young people, women into their fold.

Sangrur The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) district chapter recently established women’s wings in eight villages of the district’s Bhawanigarh Block.
The proposal came as part of a campaign to address the three new agricultural ordinances passed by the Centre.

Other farmer outfits, mostly seen as armies of old men, are also working to ‘recruit’ women and Youth into their fold.

The BKU leaders say the government’s ‘anti-farmer’ policies would impact women’s and Youth’s lives. “They agreed in 2018 to concentrate on rising women and young people’s involvement in unions.

Now we need to get our Youth and women trained. This is the need of the hour as we battle these ordinances, “said BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) State Secretary-General Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan.

Kokri Kalan added that successive governments’ anti-farmer policies had meant Youth and women were still opposed to the government.

Channelling the energy was up to the farmer’s leadership, he said.
“These laws will harm the agricultural economy and women will have to suffer more. We get a big response and women enter the fight against anti-farmer policies, “he added.

Harinder Bindu, 42, head of state of the BKU Ugharan women’s wing, said they already had a women’s wing in the districts of Sangrur, Bathinda, Mansa, and Barnala. In the shadow of covid-19, the Modi Government passed three ordinances. Women marched from 25th to August 29.

Our women activists have also protested in Malerkotla against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the NRC (National Citizens Register), and the State Population Register (NPR),’ she added.

“Women are the most marginalised group, and they are most impacted by farm debt and patriarchy. In Malwa, we get coordinated, “she added.

Kirti Kissan Union, another farmer group, established youth wings recently in the districts of Sangrur, Ludhiana, Muktsar, and Mogu.

Union activists are having meetings with Youth for the Barnala rally scheduled to take place on September 14, the first day of the new Parliamentary session, to condemn agri-ordinances.

“We formed five youth units in District Sangrur. They wanted independence when the movement was being led by elders. By September 28, we will form units in other districts, “said Bhupinder Longowal, 35, Kirti Kissan Union, the head of administration.

“Youth shouldn’t waste time and effort in collecting political party votes. Agriculture is our occupation, and we are not going to let the government grab it from us, “Longowal added.