Farmers Movement Archive

Govt must end its stubborn attitude, says Naresh Tikait

Bareilly: The government should end its stubborn attitude towards farmers, said Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) national president Naresh Tikait at a well-attended 'mahapanchayat' held in Bilari area of Moradabad district on Friday afternoon.“If the government doesn’t listen to our demands then we won’t listen to them. And the peaceful protest will continue," the farm leader said while addressing a large gathering of mainly farmers from Moradabad and its neighbouring districts. A few Samajwadi Party workers were also present.The Hindu-Muslim divide in 2013 [that led to Muzzaffarnagar riots] was a "huge mistake", he said, adding that the Jats and Muslims have joined hands against the three farm laws. “Our panchayat is growing every day. The government has blamed our union and tried to defame us and end this farmers' movement. This is a very stubborn government. If the farmers won’t wake up now then our future generations won’t forgive us. We need to rise above casteism and personal animosities and stay united,” Tikait, who has been addressing several 'mahapanchayats' in western Uttar Pradesh, said.He further said that the Prime Minister had used the word "andolanjeevi" followed by the word "jamaat" for panchayat. "The PM has insulted farmers by associating us and using the word 'jamaat' and he should publicly apologize.""We need to make a lot of improvement. This movement is yet to spread across the state. It is limited to the Ghazipur border only,” he further said.Urging everyone to protest peacefully, he said that it is the biggest weapon of this movement."Maintain peace and discipline and no one can [infiltrate and] cause trouble. The government will bend, not the farmers," he added.

The Times of India

2021-02-13

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