Baldev singh Nihang, All India Kisan Sabha Punjab

The main leader of All India Kisan Sabha Punjab is Baldev Singh Nihang. He is also the general secretary of this organization. It was established in 1936, of which 800 to 1000 members are presently present, and this organization exercises its dominance in many districts of Punjab. Politically it is associated with the CPI.

Shivkumar Kakkaji Sharma

Shiv Kumar Sharma, nicknamed Kakkaji, is an angry farmer leader who has been railing against the government for the last several years. The-65 years-old farmer-activist has been associated with an RSS backed farmer outfit, sacked after his repeated attacks on the BJP-led government in the state, and by his own admission, jailed 44 times. He started out as a student activist back in 1971. It was in Jabalpur University where he studied from 1971 to 1977 as a law student, doing MA LLB where he dabbled in activism, first by holding protests for farmers’ rights and later providing them legal assistance pro bono.

Nirbhay Singh Dudhike, kirti kisan union

The founder of this farmers union is Nirbhay Singh Dudhike. This farmers association was established in 1972. Its 5500 members are currently active. This farmers organization is active in Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Pathankot, Sangrur, Moga, Ludhiana and Nawanshahar. This peasant organization is politically connected to the Communist Party of Marxist Leninist Democratic. This farmer organization has 1247 Facebook followers.

Joginder Singh Ugrahan

Ugrahan, 75, heads the BKU Ekta Ugrahan, one of the most popular and aggressive farmer unions in Punjab with the largest membership base. Known for having an uncompromising stand on most farmer issues, the leader is believed to command an almost blind following in the Malwa region for his pursuit of the cause of the small and marginal farmer.

Ugrahan used to be in the Army but returned to farming after retirement and went on to form his own offshoot of the BKU in 2002.

The BKU Ugrahan is not a part of the 31 organisations spearheading the current protest but has been running parallel agitations in Punjab, starting with a sit-in outside Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s Patiala residence in September.

Ugrahan’s team — led by BKU Ugrahan general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, a former teacher and an equally strong farmer leader — has been responsible for the more aggressive aspects of the protests in Punjab, including the Rail Roko agitation, burning of BJP leaders’ effigies, and gheraoing of BJP leaders. Their programme has been mostly in coordination with the 31 organisations under the AIKSCC

The BKU Ugrahan This organization was established in 2002. It has around 8500 members. This organization has its influence in Amritsar, Bathinda, Bawala, Gurdaspur, Ludhiana, Sangrur, Faridkot, Ferozepur Mansa, Moga and Muktsar districts. This organization has 46491 followers on Facebook. Its main founder and president is Joginder Singh Ugraha. Joginder Singh Ugraha left the army and started his family’s traditional farming and formed the BKU Ugraha Kisan Sangathan in 2002. He has been involved in the pro-LWE activity many times.

Satnam Singh Pannu

The president of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Punjab, Pannu, 65, is a powerful voice for the cause of landless labourers. Since its creation in 2000, Pannu’s organisation has spread from Majha (border districts) to Doaba and Malwa regions.

Along with general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher, Pannu has made the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee comparable to the BKU Ugrahan in its aggression. The committee has created micro units at village and block levels, and women and the young have been active participants in the organisation’s work.

A graduate from Tarn Taran, Pannu has about 10 acres of land that is cultivated by his sons. The Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee is not a part of the 31 farmer bodies spearheading the agitation, but is supporting them.

Even so, Pannu refused to ease the Rail Roko protests even when the other farmers agreed to do so after talks with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

Members of his organisation continued to sit on the rail tracks in Jandiala even after the Rail Roko protest was withdrawn on 23 November. However, they have since left the site to lead an individual protest to Delhi. Their leaders have refused to participate in talks with the central

Bhupinder Singh Longowal,State convener, youth wing, Kirti Kisan Union

Active in the union for the last two years, Longowal, a postgraduate in Political Science, has been a farm activist since his student days and was a member of the Punjab Students Union and Nuajwan Bharat Sabha before joining Kirti Kisan Union. With a family debt debt of Rs 7.50 lakh, the marginal farmer with 2 acres of land is fully dedicated to the farmers’ cause.

Bhupinder’s education and rapport with the students has helped in mobilising a large number of youngsters for the Delhi Chalo agitation.

Gurnam Singh Chaduni, President, BKU, Haryana

Chaduni is among farmer leaders of the region who started mobilising farmers against the three farm Bills before these were passed. Hailing from Chaduni Jatan village in Kurukshetra district, he shot to fame when he led an agitation for farm loan waiver in 2008. After that, he has led many successful agitations, always opting for unique ways such as shirtless protest marches and throwing of potatoes on state highway.

In 2019, Chaduni and other farmers climbed an 80 feet water-tank demanding purchase of entire crop of sunflower. He came down only after the government agreed to purchase the entire produce. Haryana Police booked him for attempt to murder on Friday.

Known for his unique ways of protesting (like throwing potatoes on the state highway), farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni, is one of the first to have started mobilising farmers against the newly passed farm laws. He is also the chief of BKU. An FIR has been lodged against him in Karnal for allegedly instructing farmers to break all barricades.

Ajmer Singh, Bhartiya kisan union Lakkhowal

Ajmer Singh Lakhowal is the President of the Bhartiya kisan union Lakkhowal. The organization’s general secretary is Harinder Singh Lakhowal. It was established in 1992 and currently has 7000 members. It has only 5886 followers on Facebook. 77-year-old Ajmer Singh Lakhowal was born in Pakistan and came to Ludhiana at the time of Partition. Ajmer Singh Lakkhowal is an MSc in Mathematics.

Hannan Mollah

Hannan Mollah was a Member of the Parliament between 1980 and 2009. He has all along represented the constituency Uluberia in Howrah district of West Bengal. He won the seat eight times in a row and lost to Sultan Ahmed of the Trinamool Congress in the 2009 election. Mollah is a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He is currently a member of the Central Secretariat of the party. He is also the General Secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha and a Joint Secretary of the All India Agricultural Workers’ Union.

Baldev Singh Nihalgarh

He began with CPI’s youth wing, AIYF, and later became one of the frontline farmer leaders of Punjab. He is part of Kul Hind Kisan Sabha.

Jagmohan Singh Patiala, BKU, Dakaunda

Singh is a marginal farmer who used to work in the cooperative department of the Punjab government. He was an activist of the Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta before a break-up 15 years ago led to the emergence of the Bharti Kisan Union Ekta (Dakaunda), which he now serves as general secretary.

Over the ensuing weeks, Patiala brought 31 farmer groups under the umbrella of the AIKSCC, which has been at the forefront of the protests since September. It is considered a credit to Patiala’s organisational skills and reach among farmers that so many groups in the factionalised world of farmer organisations have come together on one issue.

A small farmer, he owns nearly 5 acres that he has given on lease, and says he has been able to devote his time to the union because his wife has an assured job in the postal department.

A postgraduate and diploma holder, he is an expert in acupuncture therapy. He joined Bharti Kisan (BKU) Ekta in 1993 after leaving his government job in the Department of Cooperatives. BKU (Dakaunda) was formed around 15 years ago and is one of the most active farmers’ unions of the state. A small farmer, he owns nearly 5 acres that he has given on lease, and says he has been able to devote his time to the union because his wife has an assured job in the postal department.

Buta Singh Shadipur

His father was a member of SAD and Shadipur worked on issues related to farmers on behalf of the party for more than 30 years.

Buta Singh Burj Gill is the President of the Indian Farmers Union Dakonja. This organization was established in 2005 and has 4000 members. This farmer organization has influence in Sangrur, Barnala, Moga Ludhiana, Patiala, Ferozepur, Faridkot and Fatehgarh Sahib. It is politically a pro-CPIM farmer organization. Buta Singh Burj Gill, 66, belonged to BKU / Lakhowal earlier.

Mahinder Singh, General secretary, Mansa district BKU, Dakaunda

Singh is a farm activist for the last 23 years. He has 18 cases against him in connection with farmer protests such as rail roko, jail bharo, because of which he was lodged at nine different jails, including in Delhi. A matriculate and a farmer himself, he along with his two brothers farm on 21 acres at his native village – Bhiani Bagha in Mansa district. “My life is dedicated to farmers and it does not matter even if I am booked in 100 cases,

Balbir Singh Rajewal

Rajewal is a well-known figure in Punjab. He has headed his faction of the BKU since he broke away from the original outfit in the 1990s. He is credited with having drafted the constitution of the BKU. He has prepared the demand charter for this protest.

Darshan Pal

Pal is the president of Krantikari Kisan Union Punjab, which has been working for farm loan waivers for several years. He is also among the farmer leaders who have played a vital role in bringing the 31 organisations together for the agitation, and now plays the role of coordinator for this grouping.

Dr. Darshan Pal, the founder and state president of the Revolutionary Farmers Union. This organization was established in 2016. There are 700 members of this organization. This organization is politically inclined towards CPI (M). At the age of 70, Darshan Pal started a job in the Health Department in the Punjab government. Due to LWE activities, there have been many allegations. Not only this, many of them have been in contact with CPI (Moovist) leaders, about which big questions have arisen on them.

Satnam Singh Pannu

He is the president of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Punjab. He was among those who refused to ease the Rail Roko protests even when the other farmers agreed to do so after talks with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

Baldev Singh Miyapur

Miyapur is Punjab president of BKU (Mann). Bharatiya Kisan Union Mana was established in 2002. His president is Baldev Singh Mianpur. There are only 500 active members in this organization. The dominance of this organization is present in districts like Moga, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur. This organization politically supports the Indian National Congress.

Ruldu Singh Mansa

Ruldu Singh Mansa is the President of Punjab Kisan Union. This organization was established in 2006. It has 2500 members. This farmer organization has influence in Mansa, Ludhiana and Muktsar. Politically, this organization associates itself with CPIML. Also, President of Punjab Kisan Union is also a member of All India Kisan Sangharsh Samiti.

Punjab Kisan Union president Ruldu Singh Mansa said India was a secular country, but through CAA, the NDA government was going against the spirit of the constitution which was unacceptable

Bogh Singh Mansa

Bogh Singh, now president of the BKU, has been working on issues related to farmers for the last 42 years and got involved in activism in his student days as a coordinating member of the Punjab Students’ Union.

Bhupinder Singh Longowal

The 35-year-old is the state convener of the Kirti Kisan Union youth wing. Longowal and his team of youngsters are considered single-handedly responsible for getting rural youth involved in this agitation. Longowal is a postgraduate in political science and was a member of the Punjab Students’ Union and the Naujawan Bharat Sabha, a Left organisation dating back to pre-Independence days, before joining the Kirti Kisan Union.

Jagjeet Singh Dalewal

Dalewal belongs to a family of farmers and is part of BKU-Sidhupur.

Jagjit Singh Dalewal is the President of the Bhartiya kisan Union Siddhupur. This farmers organization was established in 2002. It has 5000 members. Jagjit Singh Dalewal is 62 years old and owns 17 acres of land.

Surjeet Singh Phool

Part of the BKU (Krantikari), Phool was booked under UAPA by Punjab government in 2009 when he was accused of being linked to Maoists and placed under “intensive interrogation” in jail in Amritsar. Farmers’ unions had got together in protest to demand his release.

The founder of the Indian Farmers Union Revolutionary is Surjit Singh Phool. This farmers organization was established in 2004. There are only 1000 members in it. The political leaning of the Indian Farmers Union revolutionary is towards the CPI (M). It has only 274 followers on Facebook. The police has also registered an FIR several times over them. Not only this, the Punjab government had filed a case under UAPA on them in 2009 because their relationship was told to many Naxalites.

 

Satnam Singh Ajnala, Jamhoori Kisan Sabha

Jamhoori Kisan Sabha Satnam Singh Ajnala is the President of Jamhoori Kisan Sabha. This organization was founded in 2004 and has two thousand active members. This organization also has political contacts. Its political relations with the Revolutionary Marksist Party of India are said.

Manjit Singh Rai, Bhartiya kisan Union Doab

Bhartiya kisan Union Doab Manjit Singh Rai is the President of the Indian Farmers Union Doaba. This farmer organization has its influence among the farmers of Nawanshahar, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala

Major Singh Punnawal

Punnawal is part of All India Kisan Sabha.

Nirbhay Singh Dudhike

Dudhike came to political forefront during an agitation against killing of two students in police firing in Moga in 1972. He was associated with Tarimala Nagi Reddy’s Unity Centre of Communist Revolutionaries of India-Marxist Leninist (UCCRI-ML).

Inderjeet Singh Kot Budha

Budha is the head of Kisan Sangharsh Committee (Punjab – Kot Buddha).

Harmeet Singh

His grandfather was a founding member of BKU, and Singh is among the new generation farmer-leaders in the state.

Satnam Singh Sahni

Sahni happens to be one of the youngest farmer leaders and is part of BKU (Doaba).

Balvinder Singh Aulakh

Aulakh has led agitations related to issues faced by sugarcane farmers for the last six years. He is part of Majha Kisan Committee.

Kulwant Singh Sandhu

Member of the Jamhuri Kisan Sabha, Sandhu began as a student activist with CPM’s student wing, SFI, and fought the separatist movement in Punjab.

Baldev Singh Sirsa

Sirsa is known for his litigation related to farmers’ issues and Sikh religious institutes in High Court. He is part of Lok Bhalai Insaaf Welfare Society.

Satnam Singh Behru

Behru has been working on agrarian issues for nearly four decades, and is wellknown for his petition in Supreme Court in 2011 against the Manmohan Singh government for not implementing the Swaminathan committee report.

Harmeet Singh Kadian, Bhartiya kisan Union Qadian

The founder of the Bhartiya kisan Union Qadian is Harmeet Singh Qadian. This union was established in 2017. It has about 4000 members. It is active in many places like Batinda, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Moga, Ropan and Mansa. Harmeet Singh Kadian, aged 35, was born in Ludhiana and graduated from Khalsa College, Ludhiana.

Jungbeer Singh Tanda

Tunda has worked for farmers on issues related to sugarcane cultivation. He is part of Doaba Kisan Samiti.

Mukesh Chandra

Chandra is the vice president of Doaba Kisan Sangharsh Committee and had led protests in Jalandhar in 2016.

Sukhpal Singh Daffar

Daffar is president of Ganna Sangharsh Committee which mainly represents sugarcane farmers in Dasuya. The outfit led an agitation two years ago to demand sugar mills to clear dues and increase prices.

Harpal Singh

Singh had led Azad Kisan Committee Doaba during road blockades in Hoshiarpur in September.

Kripal Singh Nathuvala

Nathuvala is president of Kisan Bachao Morcha, which has been vocal about farmers’ issues, including water sharing, and was involved in negotiations with Punjab government over the rail blockade.

Parminder Singh Pal Majr

Majra is Punjab president of BKU (Lakhowal) that had filed a petition against the farm laws in Supreme Court, allegedly without permission of other farmer unions.

Prem Singh Bhangu

A practicing lawyer in Punjab and Haryana High Court, Bhangu is founder president of KHKF, established in 2014. He has been associated with farmers’ issues since 1992.

Kiranjeet Sekhon

Sekhon is a practicing lawyer in Sangrur and floated a Sangrur faction of KHKF two years ago.

Harjinder Singh Tanda

Tanda is part of Azaad Kisan Sangharsh Committee (Punjab).

Kanwalpreet Singh Pannu

He is president of Kisan Sangharsh Committee (Punjab) and has been part of several agitations, including the one against land acquisition laws in 2015.

This farmers organization was established in the year 2000 with only 1500 active members. This organization has its dominance in the districts of Punjab like Kapurthala, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur

Gurbaksh Singh Barnala

Barnala is the founding member of Jai Kisaan Andolan.

Fresh faces

  1. The farmers protest has also set the stage for the emergence of some young leaders, such as Bhupinder Singh Longowal, the 35-year-old state convener of the Kirti Kisan Union youth wing.
  2. Longowal and his team of youngsters are considered single-handedly responsible for getting rural youth involved in this agitation. Longowal is a postgraduate in political science and was a member of the Punjab Students’ Union and the Naujawan Bharat Sabha, a Left organisation dating back to pre-Independence days, before joining the Kirti Kisan Union.
  3. Members of the Kisan Morcha, led by Ruldu Singh Mansa, and the BKU (Sidhupur) of Jagjit Singh Dallewal and the BKU (Kadian) of Harmeet Singh Kadian, have also emerged as active participants in this agitation.
  4. The young members of the latter two were the ones who broke through the barricades put up in Haryana on the way from Punjab to Delhi during their ‘Dilli Chalo’ rally.

 Sources: The Print, Aaj Tak, TIMES NOW

DISCLAIMER: The author is solely responsible for the views expressed in this article. The author carries the responsibility for citing and/or licensing of images utilized within the text.