Haryana Elections Reveal a Gap in the Sikh Community

As Haryana gears up for elections on 5 Oct, farmer unions Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and Sanyukt Kisan Morcha Non-Political (SKM NP) decided to conduct a mahapanchayat (large gathering) in Uchana, district Jind on 15 Sep. Before the gathering, Haryana police sealed the Haryana-Panjab border to prevent Panjab farmers from attending the mahapanchayat. Despite the barricades, the mahapanchayat went ahead as planned, attracting a large number of farmers from Haryana, Panjab, and other states. Sarvan Singh Pandher, Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Abhimanyu Kohad addressed the crowd, emphasizing that their movement will remain neutral in the upcoming elections, with no support or opposition to any political party. However, by the 22 Sep mahapanchayat at Pipli, district Kurukshetra, the mood had changed. In June 2023 protests demanding sunflower seed procurement at Minimum Support Price had started in Pipli. At the Pipli mahapanchayat, the farmers decided to peacefully raise questions to BJP and INC leaders. They said, if the leaders do not answer the questions, their videos will be made viral on social media. The farmers have also given a nationwide call to block railway tracks for two hours from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm on 3 Oct. According to the 2011 census, Sikhs – many of them farmers – constitute 4.91% of Haryana’s population, with 1.8M voters out of a total Sikh population of 2.5M. The Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee’s (HSGMC) support is considered crucial for political parties on at least 30 seats. HSGMC is leaning towards BJP as the Haryana BJP govt. has nominated the committee in the absence of Gurdwara elections for over a decade, highlighting a gap between Sikh farmers and Gurdwara management.