Farmers Movement Archive

‘Ignored by Centre, Uttar Pradesh farmers may hit the highway route too’

BATHINDA: Divisions were visible in All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), an umbrella body of over 200 farm organisations from across the country which is spearheading farmer protests on the Delhi border, on Wedneday when its senior members were seen in two groups on Wednesday. Though many senior members of AIKSCC got together with farm groups from Punjab on Singhu border, convener V M Singh remained with farm groups from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand at Burari Grounds, while AIKSCC senior members Yogendra Yadav, Kakki Ji, Kavitha Kuruganthi, and Medgha Patkar were seen with farmers on Singhu border. When contacted, the convener said there were no differences in AIKSCC. He, however, added if some leaders had spoken about him, they would have to explain their position in working group’s meeting soon. He also took exception to Centre’s invitation for talks to just one farm group from UP on Tuesday and claimed that there were 55 groups of farmers in UP and Uttarakhand. The Bhartiya Kisan Union group led by Rakesh Tikait from UP was called for the meeting by Union government. The convener told TOI on Wednesday that farmers from UP and Uttarakhand would be forced to take the roads, like their counterparts from Punjab and Haryana, to show their might if the Centre would continue to ignore them. V M Singh said it seemed the Centre recognised only those who violated law and proved it by calling those farm groups for meeting who had not listened to the appeal by Union home minister Amit Shah, but ignored farm groups from UP and Uttarakhand. He said these groups had paid heed to Shah and settled at Burari Grounds, as per his appeal, and were still waiting for a call for the meeting. He said he would not stop farmers from UP and Uttarakhand if they wanted to go out of Burari Grounds as they had been ignored by the Centre. V M Singh had earlier accused the Centre of trying to cause divisons among farm organisations by ignoring farm groups from the two states and recognising farm organisations from only Punjab. V M Singh said farmers from various states grew 300 lakh tonnes of wheat and paddy each, while those from Punjab and Haryana contributed 200 lakh tonnes. He said the government still ignored farmers from UP and Uttarakhand. The ‘Dilli Chalo’ call was given by AIKSCC.

The Times of India

2020-12-03

Amritsar