Farmers Movement Archive

Western UP khaps want government to take ‘two steps back’ to search for middle ground

Ghaziabad: Members of the ‘Sarv Khap Panchayat’ on Thursday said that they are not averse to resuming talks with the government over the farmers’ demands, and said that a “beech ka rasta” (midway) has to be reached so that protests end and the farmers go back home. The representatives and heads of about ten khaps, referred as “chaudharis” in common parlance, arrived at UP Gate from Muzaffarnagar on a call given by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU). BKU leaders said that members of various khaps of Baliyans, Ahlawats, Deswals, Malik, Gathwala, Batisa, Rathi, Chugama, Panwar, and Rana were present at UP Gate on Thursday. Naresh Tikait, the head of the Baliyan khap and also the president of BKU, said that the heads of various khaps were “appalled” by the stance of the government against issues raised by the government. He arrived with other khap leaders at UP Gate Thursday afternoon and asked the government to mellow down stance.“The government is not paying heed to farmers’ demands. We are ready to take two steps back and the government should also move two steps back so that some middle ground can be reached. We will abide by the directions of the Supreme Court. It seems that the government is not concerned if farmers die during agitation. They die in more numbers in villages. We want a final decision to be taken respectfully so that farmers can go back home,” He said, adding that matters have now got prolonged and it has become an issue of “maan samman” (respect) of farmers. So far, there have been at least six rounds of talks between farmers and government representatives, but to no avail. Farmers are sticking to their demand of complete rollback of the three new farm laws while the government has given indications for making amendments. “We are ready for talks as discussions resolve issues. The core committee of farmers can take a decision on the matter as they have all rights. The khap tries to resolve tangled issues. We are in the mood to call off our protest but how do we end it? The government should mellow their stance and take back the new laws so that farmers go back home. If the government doesn’t bow down, we have our arrangements made till January 26,” he added. Subhash Baliyan, secretary of Sarv Khaps, said that farmers don’t want a situation of “tang aaye to jung aaye” (if there is impatience, there is war). “We don’t want this situation to happen. The government called us for talks and now it is time they be called here on roads for resumption of talks as farmers are still on roads,” he said. Thousands of farmers have occupied the UP Gate flyover area of the National Highway 9 since November 28. Later they blocked the Ghaziabad-Delhi carriageway of the highway on December 3 and have been holding protests at the site ever since.This was the second mahapanchayat held at UP Gate, with the first one called by the BKU on December 3. After members of the khaps arrived at UP Gate, BKU leader and spokesperson Rakesh Tikait announced that the khaps have decided that the government should roll back three farm laws and that amendments would not be acceptable. “The khaps have decided that they will go by the decision of the farmers’ core committee and there should be no amendments but rollback of the three new farm laws. We are ready for talks and are not disrupting any supply chain, besides protesting peacefully. Representatives from about eight-10 khaps could not come as they were stopped by the police in western UP,” he said. Khaps have been traditional social entities in which a group of villages of people of the same group appoint a leader. “Members of khaps who arrived on Thursday have major influence in villages of Saharanpur, Shamli, Meerut and Muzaffarnagar and their decision will be binding,” said Rajbir Singh, state vice-president of the BKU.

Hindustan Times

18-12-2020

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