Jind (Haryana) In a show of strength here by protesting farmers, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait warned the government Wednesday that it could find it difficult to stay on in power if the new farm laws are not repealed. Just before Rakesh Tikait was to begin his speech at the ‘mahapanchayat’ in Kandela village, the stage on which the farmer leaders had gathered collapsed under their weight. Nobody was hurt and the BKU leader went on to address the large gathering.
Tikait called for a ‘wapsi’ (withdrawal) of the three new central laws. The BKU leader indirectly warned the Narendra Modi government that it could lose its ‘gaddi’ (power) if the agitation continues.
“We have so far talked about ‘bill wapsi’ (repealing the farm laws). The government should listen carefully. What will you do if the youth call for ‘gaddi wapsi’ (removal from power)?” Tikait asked.
Tikait asked the Centre to repeal the three laws. He said it should frame a new one to assure the continuation of the minimum support price (MSP) system.
The BKU leader from Uttar Pradesh has been camping at Ghazipur on the Delhi-UP border. It is a part of a campaign by farmer unions against the central laws enacted in September. Farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, are also massed at Tikri and Singhu on the Delhi-Haryana border for two months.
After violence on Republic Day, police barricaded these protest sites with cement barriers and spikes on the roads. Tikait criticised the restrictions. “When the king is scared, he secures the fortress,” he said. He suggested that he would lie down on the nails embedded on the roads. Then others can cross the roads by stepping on him.
The ‘mahapanchayat’ was attended by Haryana BKU chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni and Punjab BKU leader, Balbir Singh Rajewal. Over 50 ‘khap’ leaders were also present.
Jind is often considered part of Haryana’s political heartland. The ‘mahapanchayat’ was meant to muster support for the agitation. It was organised by Sarva Jatiya Kandela Khap headed by Tekram Kandela.
Tikait said the campaign against the farm laws was going strong. “The way we are getting support from khap panchayats, we will win this fight,” he asserted. He urged everyone involved, particularly the youth, to keep protesting in a peaceful manner.
Tikait underlined the role played by farmers and their unions from Punjab. “We need their help. Haryana and Uttar Pradesh will back them. We will maintain the prestige of the farmer’s turban,” he said.
Five resolutions were passed at the ‘mahapanchayat’. These urged the government to repeal the new laws, give a legal guarantee for the MSP, implement the Swaminathan Commission report, waive farm loans and release farmers arrested after the events in Delhi January 26.
Before he spoke, Tikait and other farmer union leaders had a narrow escape as the stage collapsed. A video of farmers’ leaders falling as the stage caved in surfaced. Luckily no one was hurt.