Farmers Movement Archive

Rakesh Tikait holds out threat of Parliament siege if farm laws are not repealed

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Tuesday warned that farmers would gherao Parliament if the Centre does not repeal the three contentious farm laws."The government is not ready to listen and has decided to rob the farmers. This time, we will gherao the Parliament. We will announce it and then march towards Delhi. This time there will be 40 lakh tractors instead of four lakh tractors,” he said while addressing meetings of farmers in Churu and Sikar districts of Rajasthan.The Budget session of Parliament which began on January 29 is currently on recess till March 7. The session ends on April 8.Tikait alleged that corporates had prepared warehouses to store grains even before the farm laws were passed.“This indicates the connivance of big businessmen with the government. There is no mention of MPS in these laws. The big corporate will store the produce of farmers in warehouses and will sell them at higher prices,” Tikait said.The farmer leader said that Rajasthan is land of fighters. “This state has a history of fighters like the late Chaudhary Kumbharam Arya who had fought against anarchy in the past. The famers of the state have fought against discrimination and big agitations have taken place in this state,” Tikat said.He added, “Rajasthan has different caste equations but in order to succeed they have to give birth to a new caste that is farmers. During every farmers' meeting we should not talk about two things; one is politics and another is caste. All the farmers are one and united.”He said that the farm laws are equally dangerous for both farmers and consumers.“Not only farmers and the poor, but every person should become a part of this fight. Every youth should connect with us because this is a battle for our land which the government wants to give it to big corporations through contract farming and other modes. The market and mandis which were open for everybody will be closed because of the farm laws,” Tikait said.He said that the framers of the state will go to Gujarat, West Bengal, Jharkhand and every part of the country because farmers are suffering everywhere.“Farmers will continue to fight irrespective of the weather. We will fight in the cold and in extreme hot conditions. It will continue unless a new law on MSP is made and the three farm laws are rolled back.”Reacting to the allegation of Tikat, chief spokesperson of the BJP unit in Rajasthan, Ramlal Sharma said, “In a democracy everybody has the right to speak and register their protest. Tikait and other opposition parties are misguiding the farmers. They should speak the truth and they should be afraid of god. These farm laws are in the favour of farmers.”

Hindustan Times

24-02-2021

India