BKU mobilising west UP farmers for January 26
WHILE GOING TO DELHI, RAKESH TIKAIT’S ELDER BROTHER AND BKU PRESIDENT NARESH TIKAIT ALLEGED THAT THE CENTRE WAS TRYING TO WEAKEN THE MOVEMENT.
Centre should abandon its “stubborn” attitude, resolve the issues through dialogue, says farmers’ body chief Naresh Tikait
MEERUT : In the wake of farmer leaders’ call to fellow farmers and other people to reach Delhi on January 26 to participate in the proposed tractor rally against the new three farm laws, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) has intensified its movement in the agricultural belt of western UP to mobilise peasants.
BKU national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait and other leaders are spearheading farmers’ movement at Ghazipur border. Farmers of Baghpat and adjoining areas have also been sitting on an indefinite dharna in Baraut town of Baghpat district since December 17 to express their solidarity with protesting farmers around Delhi.
He visited the dharna site in Baraut on Sunday evening and called upon the agitating farmers to remain united in this decisive battle against three “controversial” farm laws. Tikait appealed to farmers to ensure their participation in the movement in big numbers in Delhi on the Republic Day.
“Farmers’ tractors and tanks would roll during the Republic Day parade this year. The country is of farmers who are the biggest patriots. Farmers provide food to the country and those who are safeguarding the country at border are also sons of farmers,” he said.
While going to Delhi, Rakesh Tikait’s elder brother and Bhartiya Kisan Union president Naresh Tikait alleged that the Centre was trying to weaken the movement.
Speaking to reporters at the BKU headquarters at Sisoli near Muzaffarnagar on Sunday evening, he said farmers were aware that the three new agri laws had been brought by the Centre “to benefit big corporates” and were “against peasants”.
Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at various border points of Delhi for over a month now, braving the cold weather and rains, to demand the repeal of the three laws.
Enacted in September 2020, the government has presented these laws as major farm reforms aimed at increasing farmers’ income, but the protesting farmers have raised concerns that these legislations would weaken the minimum support price (MSP) and ‘mandi’ (wholesale market) systems, leaving them at the mercy of big corporations.
These laws are the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, t he Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.
The BKU president also said the Centre should abandon its “stubborn” attitude and resolve the issues of farmers through dialogue. Making an appeal to farmers to remain united, he said, “Farmers will march on Rajpath on the Republic Day holding Tricolour in their hands”.
He also claimed that the farmers’ stir was gaining strength with each passing day.
Rakesh Tikait said farmers were ready for a decisive battle in Delhi. He further said that the farmers will sing the National Anthem if the government used water cannons and tear gas shells on them on January 26. “We will see how police attack those singing the National Anthem”, said Tikait.
Meanwhile, national vice president of BKU (Bhanu faction) Ch Diwakar Singh also claimed that preparation for participation in movement on January 26 was on full swing.
Leaders and activists of BKU (Bhanu faction) have been sitting on a dharna at Chilla border of Noida for over a month now. The organisation has good following in Amroha, Moradabad and other neighbouring districts.