Farmers Movement Archive

Won’t allow our land to be grabbed: Tikait

Pehowa, February 9Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait today said farmers were under debt because of wrong policies of the government. Addressing a kisan ‘mahapanchayat’ at the Gumthala Garhu grain market in Pehowa, he said conspiracies were being hatched to weaken the farmers’ agitation, but they would not let them grab land.Punjabi Singer to return awardPunjabi singer Rupinder Handa announced that she would return the Lok Gayika Award, handed over by CM Manohar Lal Khattar in 2017.“Kurukshetra is the land of justice and struggle. We have to struggle for future generations. Attempts are made to demoralise us. Youth were misguided and taken to Red Fort. The government tried to divide us, but we should stay strong. We all are small farmers,” he said.“There is a need to strengthen the agitation. We will win this fight with dignity. There is not a single weak link in the agitation,” he said. He called upon the youth to strengthen their connection with their land. On the arrest of Deep Sidhu, he said the incident should be probed.Seeking the support of khap panchayats, Tikait said these had always fought against injustice. He said farmer leaders would visit Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and other states to motivate farmers to participate in the agitation.Karnal: Rakesh Tikait on Tuesday reacted strongly to the statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, referring to protesting farmers as “andolanjivi”.He said if Bhagat Singh was an “andolanjivi”, so were they. He was addressing farmers at the Bastara toll plaza. Taking a dig at MPs and MLAs, he said their salaries had increased manifold, but MSP was not increased in the same manner.He appealed to farmers to continue their support to the agitation. “I appeal to you to continue your support to the protest at the Delhi borders and send support there,” he said.He said they had given an ultimatum till October 2 to the government and would decide the future course of action thereafter.Tikait appealed to consumers and traders to support the protest. “If these laws are implemented, the prices of agricultural produces will rise manifold. We are not fighting just for farmers, but for the common man and traders as well,” he said.

The Tribune

2021-02-10