Farmers Movement Archive

Bring law that guarantees MSP, says Tikait; warns of protest on Republic Day

Farmers’ leader, who represents Bharat Kisan Union, Rakesh Tikait on Sunday warned of a major protest on Republic Day if the Central government does not hold talks with them and bring a law that will guarantee minimum support price (MSP) for the farm produce. Slamming the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, he said the farmers will not go back to their homes until they will speak to them. Tikait was talking to reporters in Mumbai during a ‘mahapanchayat’ held by the farmers outfits to celebrate the historic victory of the year-long farmers’ struggle against contentious three farm laws and to declare the determination to fight for the remaining demands that include MSP, financial compensation to the families of the farmers who lost their lives during the agitation and withdrawal of criminal cases against the protestors among others. According to the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, a coalition of over 40 farmers’ outfits, that is leading the agitation, around 750 farmers died while protesting against the farm laws in the past one year. “The farmers will not tolerate this bullying anymore. We have tolerated enough. Bring the MSP guarantee law, otherwise, January 26 is not too far and four lakh tractors and farmers are all present,” Tikait told reporters. “We need to be careful from this (BJP-led) government. They are yet to start discussion with us. This government is backstabber, conspiratorial, dishonest and is still trying to humiliate the farm community and end our agitation… Farmers will not be returning back to their homes until the government will talk to us. Repealing the three laws does not mean that our problems have to come to an end. There are many issues farmers are facing and one of them is MSP,” he said, while addressing the ‘mahapanchayat’ at Azad Maidan in Mumbai. After concluding the mahapanchayat, farmers’ leaders immersed the ashes of the farmers who were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, in the Arabian Sea. The ashes were taken to most of the districts of the state to remind the agrarian community about the treatment given to them by the Central government. Four cultivators were mowed down by a SUV during a protest that triggered the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3. The farmers have claimed Ashish Mishra, son of Ajay Mishra, Union minister of state for home, was driving the vehicle that killed the farmers. Mishra was arrested as a prime accused in the case. Targeting the Prime Minister, Tikait said, “They don’t want to give us MSP because they want to loot the farmers and fill the godowns of the industrialists,” he alleged. He also said PM Modi was a supporter of the MSP when he was the chief minister of Gujarat and wanted a nationwide law to ensure that MSP is guaranteed.

Hindustan Times

28-11-2021

Mumbai