Farmers Movement Archive

Won’t move, resume talks on MSP: Rakesh Tikait to Centre

New Delhi, November 22Even as the agitating farmers today reiterated their six-point charter of demands at a mahapanchayat in Lucknow, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait accused the Centre of trying to divide the farmers. “They did the right thing by withdrawing the laws but tried to divide us, saying they had failed to convince a section of farmers on the usefulness of the laws,” he said, referring to the PM’s big announcement on Gurpurb.Comment: A battle only half won: It’s time to build a healthy and vibrant farming system that is everlastingSC panel May make agri report publicAnil J Ghanwat, a member of the Supreme Court-appointed committee on farm laws, on Monday said the panel’s report should be made public even as he maintained that the legal issues involved should be considered. “It has been eight months since we submitted the report after studying the three farm laws. It should now be made public,” Ghanwat said. Despite the government climbdown, he said the farmers’ stir would continue till all their demands were met. Asking the government to resume talks with the farmers on minimum support price (MSP) for crops, he declared: “We are not going away. The PM must give a clear answer on the demand for a law guaranteeing MSP that he had ‘supported’ when he was Gujarat CM.”Addressing thousands of farmers, he said: “We want MSP, based on the C2+50 per cent formula, be made a legal right. In our letter, we have reminded the PM that it was a committee under his chairmanship which in 2011 recommended this to the then PM.”The mahapanchayat sought the dismissal and arrest of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Misra Teni. Eight persons, including four farmers, were run over by an SUV allegedly driven by his son Ashish in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, on October 3. Tikait announced that the next meeting would be held on Delhi borders on November 27.He said he had learnt the government was bringing a new policy on dairy development and demanded the dairy farmers be consulted on the matter.

The Tribune

2021-11-23