Balbir Singh Rajewal
Balbir Singh Rajewal
Born/Date of Birthday: August 20, 1943 (age 78)
Place of Birth: Ludhiana, Punjab, British India, (now Punjab, India)
Occupation: Farmer Protestor and Politician
Political party: Sanyukt Samaj Morcha
Movement: 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest
Balbir Singh Rajewal (born 20 August 1943) is a farm union leader and politician. He is founder of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal) and the Chief Ministerial candidate of Sanyukt Samaj Morcha party for the 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election. Rajewal is known for his active participation in 2020 Farmers' protest.
Early life
Rajewal was born on 20 August 1943. He started his career as a telegraphist in the post and telegraph department but in 1968 he resigned from his job.
Farmer activist
In May 1972, Rajewal formed Punjab Khetibari Union with merger of 11 peasants group in Chandigarh.
When in 1978, PKU transformed into Bharatiya Kisan Union, he was appointed as Secretary of the Union. He is also credited with writing the Constitution of BKU. He also worked with Mahendra Singh Tikait and Sharad Anantrao Joshi. In 2009, he went on hunger strike and demanded relief for farmers under draught funds and then Government granted 800 crore rupees for the same.
2020 Farmers Protest
In 2020, Government of India passed three farm acts, along with other 31 Farmer Unions in Punjab, he started protest against these laws in Punjab and then at Singhu Border near Delhi at Haryana. He is also the member of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM).
Politics
Rajewal has been close to various political parties in past, including Shiromani Akali Dal, Indian National Congress, and Aam Aadmi Party, but didn’t accept any official post. During 2020-2021 Farmer's protest, he was against any political participation.
Sanyukt Samaj Morcha
After the withdrawal of Farm laws by Government of India in November 2021, the 22 Farm unions of Punjab broke away from the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and announced intentions to participate in 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election. Balbir Singh Rajewal has announced to be Chief Minister face of the new party named as Sanyukt Samaj Morcha. SKM has distanced itself from the new party and said it is not associated with SSM. The new party is not allowed to use the SKM banners.
