Rakesh Tikait calls on youth, farmers to join agitation: ‘Will have to take on fear’

Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait on Sunday told the farmers and youth in Gujarat that they “will have to take on fear (darr nikalna padega).” Tikait was speaking at a public meet in Palanpur of Banaskantha wherein, he had arrived to have a “samvad” (conversation) with Gujarat farmers on the newly introduced three farm laws.

Tikait entered Gujarat on Sunday morning from Abu road with his convoy of farmer leaders and was welcomed by former Gujarat chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela and Aam Aadmi party (AAP) workers in Ambaji temple at Banaskantha where he took blessings. Later, in a road convoy, Tikait reached Palanpur while interacting with farmers along the 60km route.

“How the people of Gujarat will join the andolan (agitation), they have to decide. The youth will have to be part of andolan. We will have to take on fear. If there is no agitation, then our (farmers) lands will be snatched. The way the government has said that they will implement Gujarat model across the country and the manner in which Reliance was given 60 villages in the state, in the similar manner, lands of farmers across the country will be snatched. People of Gujarat want to win through court cases but even there the government will try to stall cases. So don’t wait for court judgments as your lands will be saved only through agitation (sic),” said Tikait.

Tikait said that the reason behind his Gujarat visit was the detention of Bharatiya Kisan Union national general secretary Yudhvir Singh and other farmer leaders in Ahmedabad when they had tried to hold a press conference in the city.

“We were asked why are we going to Gujarat so I told them whether we need any VISA passport to travel to the state ? …I told them that the first we will break the barricade (police morcha) in Gujarat itself. The national media is trying to discourage the farmers agitation in Delhi and they deliberately show empty tents and roads saying that our agitation has ended, however in reality there are 25,000 tractors still present at the Delhi borders (sic),” said Tikait.

The public meet of Tikait and former CM Shankersinh Vaghela had meagre presence of local residents including farmers and it was mentioned by Tikait as well.

“Not many youth are seen here today. I would like to tell them they should start doing andolan from tractors. Learn to be active both on Twitter and tractor. This is the land of Sardar Patel and there is no need to be nervous. 2021 is the year of andolan. Those sitting in power at centre had become powerful from here (Gujarat) and here we should take them head on. Farmers from Gujarat have to hide their identity to travel to Delhi to take part in agitation. (sic).”

Tikait is scheduled to arrive in Ahmedabad on Monday to visit Sabarmati Ashram and speak to farmers in the city as well.

On this occasion, former CM Vaghela hit out against the BJP on farm laws.

“The BJP claims that the farm laws are for the benefit of the farmers so let the farmers speak for themselves. The three farm laws have been drafted in the offices of industrialists and the manner in which the government has been mistreating the farmers, it will have implications on the country’s military as well, as it is the farmers’ sons who join the army…”