Farmers Movement Archive

We care more for a policy on MSP than PM’s apology: Tikait

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said on Monday that the withdrawal of the three contentious farm laws, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was not enough, stressing that farmers had other issues that needed to be resolved, the most important among them being a law for guaranteed minimum support price (MSP). Speaking at a day-long Kisan Mahapanchayat in Eco Garden Park in Lucknow, where the farmers vowed to carry on their agitation, Mr. Tikait said there was no need to set up a new committee for a law on MSP; nor do the people have time for such a committee. He said a report submitted in 2011 by a group of Chief Ministers, led by Mr. Modi, who was ruling Gujarat then, to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had recommended a law for MSP. The report was still lying in the PMO, Mr. Tikait said. Mr. Modi should give a clear answer to the people of the country if he would implement this report or not, said the BKU leader, stressing that they cared more about a policy for MSP than his apology. He also accused the Government of lying that it had formed a committee on guaranteed MSP, and said the government wanted to convert the entire country into a “private mandi ”. He said Mr. Modi had spoken sweet words and his voice was even sweeter than honey when announcing the repeal of the laws. However, he said, “I have doubts. We want a strong PM. We don’t want a weak PM. You can talk tough but also provide solutions to our problems.” The BKU leader said a sangharsh-vishram (ceasefire) had been declared by the Government and not farmers. “The struggle will continue. The Government should talk to farmers about the issues related to them or else we are not going to go away. Meetings will be held all over the country and we will tell the people about your work,” he said. He told the Mahapanchayat that while the BJP Government would go on selling the country, mandis and village land, it would keep people enmeshed in issues around “Hindu-Muslim,” “Hindu-Sikh” and “Jinnah.”

The Hindu

2021-11-23

LUCKNOW