On July 25, Samyukt Kisan Morcha suspended Punjab Kisan Union President Ruldu Singh Mansa for 15 days for speaking against Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale without taking his name during one of his recent speeches. He had also condemned Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, Chief of banned Khalistani organization Sikhs For Justice, for brainwashing Sikh youth.
The decision of his suspension was taken on Sunday after 32 Sikh groups submitted their objection to Mansa’s statement. They alleged that Mansa had hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community. Union leader Harinder Singh Lakhowal presided over the meeting of 32 Sikh groups, and Jagjeet Singh Dallewal presided over the meeting of Samyukt Kisan Morcha.
While talking to the press at the Kundli border, Dallewal said that Mansa’s speech from the stage of Samyukt Kisan Morcha had hurt the sentiments of Sikhs which is against the policy of the organization. Lakhowal said that his speech was against Sikhs and martyrs. Mansa has been banned from giving any statement from any platform for 15 days.
Mansa’s speech against Bhindranwale and SFJ’s Pannu
On July 21, while addressing the protesting farmers, Mansa spoke against the Khalistani forces trying to infiltrate the protests. Though he did not take the name of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale or Khalistan movement per se, his speech was clearly against him.
He said, “They are sitting in America. I would call them dogs hired by the government. They keep barking, but we know how the one who was sitting there [Amritsar] and kept provoking youth in Punjab. Because of his provocation, our 25,000 youth were martyred in the hands of the Police. Now this dog named Pannu is barking, do this and do that. There is one more who has been speaking against Kisan leaders. My friends, why are your earning dollars? Come here, and you will know the reality of the battle. It is easy to give suggestions while sitting in a foreign country.”
Interestingly, Sikh groups were “hurt” by what Mansa said against designated terrorists, but they were okay with what he had said against the union government and PM Modi during his speech. While they had objections over mere 45 seconds of the speech, in the rest of the 9 minutes 30 seconds long speech, Mansa kept talking against the union government and PM Modi. He kept provoking the farmers against the three agriculture laws that have been passed to provide them better infrastructure and more options to sell the produce.
Mansa also kept talking about saving the land and hinted that new laws would take away the land of the farmers. However, in reality, it gives power to farmers to have agreements of contract farming without involving the land as security. He also talked about fighting against BJP in Uttar Pradesh and gave a vague hint about farmer leaders contesting upcoming Punjab Assembly elections.
Farmer protests
Since November 2020, protesting farmers have been sitting at Delhi borders against the three agriculture laws that were passed in September 2020. The protests have not only caused losses worth thousands of crores to the business owners in Delhi and in nearby states, but it has also resulted in riots on Republic Day. Over 300 police personnel were injured in those riots. Now so-called protesting farmers have threatened not to let any minister hoist the national flag on independence day and have a tractor rally in Haryana on August 15.