Farmers Movement Archive

Will raise farmer issues in West Bengal, says Tikait

Ghaziabad: The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Wednesday reiterated his stand to hold panchayats in poll-bound West Bengal and said that he will raise issues of farmers there. In order to garner support for the ongoing their agitation, Tikait and other farmers’ leaders have been holding panchayats regularly in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and other areas in the national Capital region.Farmers’ leaders have also slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that it is because the government has not paid heed to their demands.Farmers have been camping at various borders around Delhi since November last year, demanding repeal of the three new farm laws and a new law on minimum support price. “We will definitely go to West Bengal; it is not as if the state is outside the country. We are getting a lot of response from our panchayats and this has baffled the government. Farmers are facing issues in West Bengal as well and their issues should find a way to the manifestos of political parties who intend to come to power. There, farmers are not getting the appropriate price (for their crops) while those involved in fisheries are also facing problems,” Tikait said. BJP leaders are holding rallies in the state hoping to make inroads during the upcoming assembly elections against the All India Trinamool Congress. Assembly elections in West Bengal are likely to be held in April or May.On Tuesday, several BJP leaders including party president JP Nadda and Union home minister Amit Shah held a meeting with party leaders from Haryana, Rajasthan and western UP. Sources in the BJP said that it was intended to reach out to farmers, panchayats and khaps over the issue of the three farm laws. Both western UP and Haryana have major Jat populations.“It is good that BJP leaders are discussing farm laws and trying to reach out to farmers. Internally, they are basically worried about letting slip their vote bank and are now trying to win over farmers,” said Jagtar Singh Bajwa, a farmer leader from Uttarakhand and member of the UP Gate farmers’ committee.“If their leaders speak to farmers then they will come to know. The government is trying to talk to the people of one caste, but it is not an agitation of any one caste and this, the people will show them. Let them hold talks. We ask them whether only Jats voted for them. It seems they are trying to play the caste card. Caste and religion cards have been exhausted now as we are playing the ‘kisan card’ to raise the issues of farmers,” Tikait added. “We will see what new card they play next. Their cards die out in five days and they try to bring in new cards each time. They are now trying to divide us into castes, and this does not send out a good message. Our intent is to ensure that the government listens to our demand,” he added. The last round of talks between the government and farmers’ union were held on January 22, after which no talks have been scheduled so far.The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a body of farmers’ unions at the Singhu border, issued a statement Wednesday in which it said: “It is clear that instead of resolving the ongoing agitation, the BJP is trying its best to counter and destroy it. The SKM condemns this attitude of the ruling party and demands that the government resolve the farmers’ issues without any further delay. The SKM vows that it will intensify the struggle and mobilise more farmers in its support.” BJP leaders declined to comment over the agenda of the meeting held by their senior leaders on Tuesday. “The BJP has never done politics of caste and will never do it. This dharna (sit-in) by the Kisan Union is no andolan (agitation) and has flopped, which is why they are making such comments. Our party people and leaders are always with the common man and they have held a lot of programs to reach out to people. Even our senior leaders in UP have held such programs in the recent past,” said Chandra Mohan, spokesperson and state secretary of BJP – UP.

Hindustan Times

17-02-2021

Noida