A vocal local leader from Khanna who has been actively raising civic issues there, Yadwinder Singh Yadu (44), is a farmer by vocation. A core committee member of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Yadu has also been voicing anger against the three farming laws passed by the Union government. He talks to TOI’s Shariq Majeeed on civic elections and farmers’ agitation.
Q: How do you see things turning up in the coming civic body elections?
On seats which have rural areas close by, farmers’ agitation will have 100% impact. In cities, arhtiyas, cloth traders, factory workers are upset with the current scenario, which can be seen from the empty markets in cities, and this will also impact the poll scenario. When farmers get money, they don’t keep it and spend the same or repay the loans, etc. His whole money goes in market, so they will decide the outcome of these elections.
Q: What are the main issues in Khanna?
There are lot of civic issues in Khanna. The ruling Congress passed one year doing nothing due to Covid and now they did nothing during the ongoing farmers’ agitation and are sitting silently. In Khanna, under the Centre’s Amrut Scheme, sewerage was to be laid in the town, but the project was delayed first and now for nine months work is going on. In some areas it has been started, while in other areas it has been stopped. They have dug up roads in areas where sewerage was to be laid and now there are potholes in those areas. My wife was a councillor from ward number 13, and they didn’t start work in 13 and 14 as they didn’t want our growth on the political spectrum in the area and deliberately started it around MC elections. I talked to the SDM, but work was not done and then I had to knock the door of the Punjab and Haryana high court. The next date of hearing of case is February 9. They will have to start work as they have got orders from the court for getting the work photographed. The other issues are corruption, where bribe is allegedly being taken from vendors; pollution in Khanna, which has been the most important issue; bad condition of all link roads and water-logging in many areas.
Q: What is the response to farmers’ agitation in Khanna area?
From day one, we have been associated with the farmers’ agitation and I am also a farmer. The response in our area is very good as it’s the foremost thing in the mind of everyone with people connected to each other and involved in farming. About 80% of the people in Punjab are directly or indirectly linked to farming, so they do share the concerns of farmers, which is why they support the agitation staunchly.
Q: How do you see government’s response?
The government response to the farmers’ agitation can be termed as stubborn and it should accept their demands. Laws are for the welfare of the people and if they are not happy with such laws, they should repeal those. Why the government is being so arrogant? They are not saying how good it is for farmers. Earlier, companies would buy but then mandi board’s grip was there, so they were answerable to the board. But if the board is taken out of the system, they will do whatever they want to. Even contract farming aspect in the laws is not good. If we study the laws between the lines, it is dangerous.
Q: Agriculture minister Narinder Singh Tomar has said that what’s black in these laws as these are being termed by some as “black laws. What do you have to say on this?
There is a fine for hoarding, but there is no check if big companies set up plants for storage, etc. and sell the same to people on higher rates. Today, what the government buys at Rs 1,885, it will be come to people at Rs 5,000 as these will be sold in big stores of their own (companies) and not in small shops. So, common man will be more affected than farmers.
Q: The government has been maintaining that they will not take the laws back. What is your take on this?
In 1906, there was agitation “Pagri Sambhal Jatta” and Britishers had to bow down before the farmers and after that as well many big agitations had taken place, wherein people forced the government to give in. They should not adopt such attitude because the governments would fall if the people were not with them.
Q: Your rival parties have been saying that SAD changed stance after taking different one initially?
Initially, what was told was different and it was claimed that it was good, but then when one goes through the points, one comes to know more about it. If farmers didn’t like it, we will stand by them and not the government. When farmers, their leaders and intellectuals said that the laws were not good, so we stood with what they were saying.