Tikait emerges as face of protests at UP Gate site
GHAZIABAD: Buoyed by the support of the people, Bharatiya Kisan Union’s (BKU’S) national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait has become a popular face at the UP Gate protest site, where farmers have been camping since November 28, 2020 demanding repeal of the three new farm laws. Many in the ranks at UP Gate feel that Tikait’s stature has grown considerably during the past two days and more so after his emotional appeal in which he also broke down in tears in front of supporters and media persons late on January 28.
Many youngsters who flocked to the UP Gate site after his appeal have termed him “Baba Tikait”, which otherwise is referred to Rakesh Tikait’s father late Mahendra Singh Tikait, who led various farmers’ movements for about 25 years and is a founder of the BKU, with one of the most famous ones being a seven-day massive dharna at the Boat Club in Delhi in 1988, besides cordoning the office of the divisional commissioner (Meerut) for about 25 days in January 1988.
Rakesh, however, denied that “it was absolutely wrong” to term him so.
“His (Rakesh) image has seen a sharp rise during the past couple of days and it will skyrocket if the government repeals the three farm laws. The face of the agitation has changed a lot in the past couple of days. For us farmers the country comes first, then the farmer himself and thereafter the caste system. When people saw him crying on television, they were touched and many of the Jaats also arrived here to stand by his side,” said Harendra Tomar, a farmer from Kishanpur Baral in western UP’S Baghpat district.
Rakesh had also led a major farmers’ rally through western Uttar Pradesh in October 2018 and arrived at UP Gate in Ghaziabad where farmers had then clashed with the Delhi police.
But, as things unfolded, the farmers retreated on the night of October 2, 2018.
Some of the BKU leaders at the site said that many farmers who were part of the October 2018 agitation were not ready to come out again to participate in the ongoing protest against the three new farm laws.
“Now the situation has changed and for the past two
months, Rakesh Tikait has emerged as a leader of farmers and even more so after January 28, when he broke down. After that day, the people seem to have connected with him emotionally and it is for the first time that panchayats are being held in areas of Baraut, Shamli, Bulandshahr, Muzaffarnagar and Mathura, among others,” said Arun Panwar, another farmer who is from Bulandshahr city.
The farmers, during the ongoing protests, have scribbled phrases such as “Kisan Kranti Gate” at the UP Gate flyover, and also put up a picture of the late Mahendra Singh Tikait.
Panwar said that the current support enjoyed by Rakesh Tikait will also help him in the future, in case he has any political ambitions.
“He will have a majority of people standing by his side and will give leverage to any party whom he wishes to support, in case he wants. The current situation in western UP is also likely to have an impact for the ruling party as the state will go to polls in the upcoming assembly elections,” he added.
Rakesh had also contested the 2007 UP assembly elections from the Khatauli seat, and the the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Amroha on a ticket given by the Rashtriya Lok Dal.
However, he lost both elections.
From the dais of the UP Gate protest site on Friday, Rakesh told people that he “voted for the Bharatiya Janata Party while his wife voted for another party.”
His elder brother Naresh Tikait, who heads the “non political” BKU, is the head of the Balyan Khap. During the ongoing protest against the three new farm
laws, many of the Khap leaders from western UP lent their support to Rakesh.
Gaurav Tikait, the youth wing president of the BKU, said that “personality” and “people” cannot be compared.
He said his grandfather, the late Mahendra Singh Tikait, was a force to reckon with as thousands of farmers rallied behind him in times when there were no means of communication to spread messages.
“Present times are different. He (Rakesh) is leading the protests well and has become a prominent face in the farmers’ protest against the three laws. The agitation is continuing, and the outcome will provide the answers. Since the agitation is our priority, it will not be right to comment on western UP politics scenario,” he added.
Ever since January 28, Rakesh has been at the dais of the UP Gate site for most of the time, delivering speeches for the large gathering that is swelling up every day.
“Everyone who comes here tries to meet him and even take pictures with him, and he is not in a habit of denying. This is why he tries to stay here, even giving necessary directions from time to time. His popularity has increased so much that people have created several social accounts in his name and are posting messages,” said Digambar Singh, state president of the BKU’S youth wing.
Dharmendra Malik, the media in-charge of the BKU, said that they have come across eight such social media profiles and are now trying to approach the social media companies to get a “verified” badge for Rakesh’s social media account.