Farmers Movement Archive

After PM’s address, more farmers join protest at UP Gate to continue agitation against farm laws

On the day the Prime Minister released the next instalment of financial benefits under the ‘PM Kisan Samman Nidhi’ through video conferencing, farmer protesters at UP Gate reiterated their demand for the repeal of the three new farm laws. Farmers from Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab are part of the ongoing agitation at UP-Gate since November 28. Coinciding with PM Modi’s programme, Union minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution Piyush Goyal was in western UP’s Hapur district and said that some of the opposition parties were trying to mislead the farmers over new laws. “When every trader, industrialist or a businessman is free to sell their product across the country or outside at any time or at any price, why should farmers remain in restrictions about where to sell and when to sell. So, these laws have tried to free farmers from old practices and want to give them freedom so that they get proper price. I remember that the day the ordinance was passed, newspapers in UP reported that Baba Tikait had demanded similar changes 27 years ago and these have been fulfilled by PM Modi,” Goyal told gathering in Hapur. ‘Baba Tikait’ refers to Bharatiya Kisan Union’s (BKU) founder leader Mahendra Singh Tikait. The BKU has major influence on farmers in western Uttar Pradesh and its leaders ate also spearheading the ongoing protest at UP-Gate. Many Union Ministers, MPs were sent to different areas to join events coinciding with PM’s programme. “Some opposition parties are trying to mislead farmers and some wrong powers are putting farmers in dark and trying to spread misinformation. These laws will give more opportunities to farmers and old practice will not be touched. Entire country, especially the farmers in UP, have accepted the laws while people are trying to mislead farmers in an area. I hope people will understand,” Goyal said. Gaurav Tikait, a young farmer leader who is also son of BKU national president, Naresh Tikait, countered Goyal’s statements about ‘Baba Tiakit.’ “Chaudhay Sahab (Mahendra Singh Tikait) said that everyone should be able to sell his crop anywhere. Why not the government brings out one rate and one law on MSP? It should be one nation, one crop and one rate. For instance, if a farmer from Muzaffarnagar can get a good price, why will be go to other cities. Also, there is no point in saying that the agitation is run by opposition parties, this way they will lose their voters just because they want to favour corporates. We voted for them and outcome of this movement will impact next elections,” he said at UP-Gate. BKU’s state president, Rajbir Singh Jadaun, said that the government nowadays sees everything in political perspective. “They did not call us political when they wanted votes. The DBT amount transferred to farmers is not ‘Ehsaan’ (favour). The amount should increase and should be respectable. The situations 30 years ago were different. There are groups who have surfaced recently and supporting the new laws. It should be checked who are these people and whether they are farmers or not,” Jadaun, added. Hundreds of BKU volunteers joined the protests at UP-Gate on Friday and their leaders said that hundreds of more tractor-trolleys were on way to join the protest from Uttarakhand. Despite call for talks, the farmers have maintained that they want repeal of three new laws. At least six talks between the farmers’ leaders and government representatives have so far failed to break the deadlock.

Hindustan Times

25-12-2020

Noida