Farmers Movement Archive

U’khand needs a strong land law to stop migration of farmers from hills: Rakesh Tikait

Dehradun: Rakesh Tikait, the spokesperson of farmers’ body Bhartiya Kisan Union, supported the demand for a strong land law in Uttarakhand. While interacting with media persons during his visit to Dehradun on Wednesday, Tikait said, “The government should enact a land law to ensure that farmers don’t resort to selling their lands when in financial distress. Also, it is upon the government to provide farmers with more avenues of earning money.” His remarks come at a time when locals and activists have been asking the government to roll out a land law to protect the interests of indigenous people. The demand has been gaining traction on social media platforms for quite some time now and as a consequence, some political parties are also taking up the issue. Similar to his address in Herbertpur in March this year, Tikait again pointed out the need for farmer-friendly policies in Uttarakhand to check migration from the hills. The farmer leader also underscored the need for a ‘village tourism policy’ in Uttarakhand. “On the lines of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand should also come up with a village tourism policy to help villagers earn money. Besides, a transport policy is also required to protect those who ferry goods from hills to plains,” said Tikait. He also proposed a ‘Hill Policy’ to check migration from hills. “The border villages of Uttarakhand that share a border with China should be put under the Schedule Tribe zone. This will help protect the interests of the locals and ensure their land is protected,” Tikait added. Meanwhile, Tikait reiterated his demand of retracting the three contentious farm laws that were introduced by the central government last year. He warned of intensified protests if his demands are not met soon.

The Times of India

2021-08-12

Dehradun