Delivering a stirring speech in Saharanpur on Sunday, Rakesh Tikait, national spokesperson, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), said 2021 has seen the rise of the farmer as a religion and caste. He asked peasants to rise above social barriers.
Underlining the importance of strengthening social ties, he said the movement would be a success only when “the landowner joins hands with the farm labour”.
“I appeal to you to worship the Valmiki community before entering any temple. You may build palaces and forts but without their support, you cannot keep them clean,” he said.
At the Ghazipur protest site, he said, a farmer with 50 bighas of land was sharing a tent with one who has only two bighas. “This bonhomie should reflect in villages as well. Those who are busy with the movement, their crop will be harvested by others in the villages,” he said, urging farmers to form committees in villages in this regard.
Cautioning political parties to not harvest votes out of the non-political movement, Mr.Tikait said a weak Opposition was also dangerous for the country, adding, “If it had raised voice in the Parliament, these Bills would not have been passed.”
On January 28, he said, the principles of the Constitution were about to be violated as goons of the ruling party were ready to attack and humiliate farmers returning from the protest. “There was no Opposition party in sight,” he remarked.
Giving hints of the road ahead, Mr. Tikait said political parties would not change the fortune of the farmer. “The country’s public will alter the fortune of the farmer, this non-political organisation will change the plight of the farmer,” he said.
Towards the end of his speech, he said he would go to poll-bound Bengal as well.
Addressing a massive gathering of farmers in Lakhnaur village of Saharanpur, Mr. Tikait said that after its different tactics to divide farmers had failed, the government had been silent for the past 10 days. “I appeal to you stay united because I fear they might come up with new ‘funda’ (ploy),” he said. He reiterated that “camera aur kalam” (the media) were working under the shadow of guns and farmers should not believe everything that was being shown and written in the name of news.
He said farmers had special love for their land and their country. “If a businessman suffers a loss, he could shift his business to another city, but a farmer keeps tilling the same land even if he doesn’t get the right price for his produce, year after year,” he said.
Mr. Tikait praised youth for joining the movement in large numbers and asked them to be prepared for a “hal kranti” (plough revolution). “You are the backbone of the movement. You will remove the nails that the government has put in farmers’ path,” he said.
Once again, using his rustic wit effectively, Mr. Tikait said when the farmer could not give his land to his son during his lifetime, how could he give to a corporate. “You fight when your neighbour violates the boundary of your field. Would you like to be dictated by the corporate on what to sow and what to harvest?” he said on a lighter note.