Farmers Movement Archive

Gur mixes with ragini songs, but celebrations muted

Meerut/Muzaffarnagar/Agra: Farmers in parts of western Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring Uttarakhand burst into a moment of joy in their villages and towns following PM Narendra Modi's decision to take back the three farm laws. Jaggery and laddus were passed around as ragini songs rang out around tractors and people danced to the beats of drums. But after months of protest, fatigue had sent it, lives were lost and disrupted. Celebrations at many places were muted. While Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) president Naresh Tikait welcomed the Centre's decision and demanded a law on MSP, several farmers of the region were cautious. "It took a year for the government to tell us this. Farmers suffered a lot and they didn't deserve this kind of treatment," said Manveer Huda, a farmer in Shamli. Another farmer, Naveen Pradhan, from Meerut, said, "A huge burden is off the shoulders of farmers. But they paid a heavy price to achieve this. We've sacrificed hundreds of our brethren during the year-long agitation. The government should not try to take credit for this so-called 'benevolence'. It was their mistake and they had to rectify it." Rakesh Dhankad, also from Meerut, said that the farmer's stature has now increased. "This decision was taken out of electoral compulsion," he quipped. "People know our worth." There was recognition, too, of the importance of Friday's announcement. BKU's Agra division president Gajendra Singh Parihar said, “We welcome the decision. On Guru Nanak Dev ji's birthday, we are now on the threshold of victory -- of truth and patience." Joining Parihar in celebration, BKU Agra district president Rajveer Lawaniya thanked everyone who supported the movement. In Agra, many also said that the PM should provide monetary help to the families of those who died during the agitation. Kin at the Kasganj house of Lakhvinder Singh, 60, who fell ill near the Ghazipur border and died soon after on January 22, were still in mourning. Tributes were paid to the ex-block development council member at the local gurdwara on Friday. His brother Satnam Singh said, “Over 700 farmers, including my brother, lost their lives. The PM did not utter a word in their memory.” Farmers of the Terai region, also known as the 'rice bowl of Uttarakhand', were elated. They assembled in Jaspur, Kashipur, Gadarpur, Rudrapur, Kichha, Nanakmatta, Sitarganj and Khatima towns to distribute sweets and burst crackers. "It is a huge relief for people of the Terai. It's a win for farmers and labourers," said Tejender Singh Virk, who was critically injured in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence on October 3 and is still undergoing treatment. Gulshan Rod, head of Uttarakhand Kisan Morcha, said "it is a historical day for not just farmers but the entire nation. But trust in the government has been hit, of course". (Inputs from Mohd Dilshad, Aakash Ahuja & Tapan Susheel)

The Times of India

2021-11-20

Dehradun