Farmers Movement Archive

1 village, 1 tractor, 15 men and 10 days: Rakesh Tikait's formula for farmers' protest

Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait gave the protesters who are with him against the Centre's farm laws a formula to strengthen the movement. Tikait's mantra for farmers included 1 village, 1 tractor, 15 men and 10 days, adding another 15 are to replace the first 15 on rotational basis.The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson gave the formula as the ongoing farmers' protest completed 100 days on Saturday."If these farm laws are enforced then the foodgrain will be locked in godowns of the traders and big companies and the price of foodgrain will be decided on the basis of hunger," he said.Also Watch: Farmers mark 100th day of protest with road blockadeOn Thursday, Tikait asked his supporters to be prepared for a long protest "until the government agrees to talk to the committee". Several leaders of farmer unions have also said that their movement is far from over.The farmers have been sitting at various borders near national capital Delhi since November 26 last year with the demand that the three central farm laws must be repealed. They have held several rounds of talks with the government, but the impasse continues.They also want a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP).While a resolution was reached on two of the four demands - rollback of rise in power tariff and penalties for stubble burning - in January, a decision on repeal of the three farm laws and a legal guarantee for MSP are the two major sticking points.The government has given assurances on MSP, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying "MSP will always be there" but the farmers want a law on it.The Centre has called these laws historic and liberating for the small farmers. But the unions and opposition farmers have trashed these laws saying they will favour big corporate houses and put the farmers at their mercy.Several non-BJP state governments have passed resolution against these farm laws. The Punjab government passed a second resolution last week asking the Centre to withdraw of these laws.

Hindustan Times

07-03-2021

India