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With several political parties and singers and actors calling for and organising protests against the three farm Bills, farmer unions in Punjab are not happy with leaders terming them “gatherings of misguided youth” who were more interested in hooliganism than protests.
There are 31 farmer and farm labour unions in Punjab owing allegiance to different ideologies. Some unions are also close to the Shiromani Akali Dal Badal, the Congress party and the Aam Aadmi Party but mostly follow an ideology that is inspired from the Left parties. These unions often come on a common platform or at least coordinate with each other on big issues by keeping all political parties at distance.
However, they were taken by surprise with a massive gathering on the Shambhu border with Haryana on the day of Punjab Bandh on September 25. It was the biggest gathering in Punjab in response to the bandh call given by farmer unions. Surprisingly, no farmer union was part of that protest.
The call for this gathering was given on social media by Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu and politician and activist Lakha Sidana among others. Student leader Kanupriya also attended...