Tikunia’s Sikh protestors dig in heels, let go only after govt gives in
LUCKNOW : Tikunia, a small town near the Indo-Nepal border, known for its superior paddy crop and Lodhi mela, turned into a fortress overnight on Sunday with close to 1,500 security personnel deployed to contain the protests that started after the death of four farmers and four others.
All the four farmers killed were Sikhs. Tikunia falls in the Terai belt of Uttar Pradesh where large Sikh groups have been living for years. The Sikhs in the region are primarily farmers who have been openly vocal against the recent farm laws. The protest on Sunday was also aimed against the farm laws.
“Is desh main ab kya shanti purvak virodh karne pe hatya kar di jayegi? Ye kaisa raj hai (Will we be killed for protesting peacefully now? What kind of rule is this?), shouted a Sikh man through a hand-held megaphone, in a white kurta-pyjama and large green turban on Monday. The crowd sitting in the ground fell silent as the man continued, “Agar ab chup rahe to hamesha ke like shaant kara diye jayenge (If we remain quiet now, we will be silenced forever).”
The farmer groups blocked the narrow road connecting the area with district headquarters, some 80 kilometres away, demanding compensation for the kin of the deceased farmers and action against local BJP MP and his son, who is an accused in the case.
“We will not leave this spot till a decision is made regarding the arrest of the minister and his son,” announced a farmer from a trolley blocking the Tikunia road. Sikh farmers, including youngsters thronged to pay their respects to the bodies of four
farmers which were kept in freezers on the road. A large number of police personnel stood on one side of the road
leading to a school, hardly 100 meters from the spot where farm leaders negotiated demands with government officials.
Over 1,000 Sikh farmers and members of Kisan unions reached Tikunia from nearby districts and states including Uttarakhand, Punjab and Haryana to participate in the protest.
Hundreds of Sikh volunteers carrying sticks managed the crowd, directing them towards the bodies and then to the ground, where the crowd swelled as the day progressed.
While volunteers served tea and other refreshments, farm leaders kept updating the farmers about the negotiations.
Stating that farmers from across the country are with the protesting farmers, Rakesh Tikait urged the protesting farmers to clear the road and end the stir once the government had acceded to the demands of the farmers.
“The government has agreed to our demands. This is a victory for all the farmers of the country. It is the first time that an FIR has been lodged against a union minister in this government,” Tikait said.