Rakesh Tikait, national spokesperson for the Bharatiya Kisan Union, told the Bharatiya Kisan Union's inaugural mahapanchayat after the government and Samyukt Kisan Morcha reached an agreement, that if the present administration did not modify its ideology, it would be thrown out of power.
Tikait, speaking in Kairana on Sunday, hailed the 15-month protest as an "ideological revolution" and a training ground for the country's farmers and youth. He expressed gratitude to the villagers for delivering rations to the morchas, saying that no one inquired about whether the food came from a Hindu, Sikh, or Muslim family.
"It is the success of our conviction in the traditional panchayat where our representatives fought for an acceptable settlement," he added, emphasizing that the deal between the government and the SKM should not be perceived as a victory of farmers against the government.
Minimum Support Price Became a Household Name
One of the movement's biggest triumphs, he said, was that the Minimum Support Price became well-known, and people realized how important it was for farmers.
"We don't tell you who you should vote for. It is our responsibility to remind the government of the commitments made and kept. Elections are about selecting one philosophy over another, and I would advise the present government to modify its ideology, or else people will search for other possibilities," Tikait told the throngs of people who had gathered despite the cold.
With elections looming, he predicted that the government will make concessions. "Slurp them up," says the narrator. Two months before the election, governments will labor extra hours. "Once the polls are announced, we will return to analyze the situation," he stated.
According to the BKU leader, there is a notion that the MSP guarantee bill will be a burden on the government.
"Crops worth ₹12 lakh crore are farmed in India, according to an approximate estimate." If the MSP guarantee bill is passed, the farmers will receive ₹3 lakh crore that currently goes to wealthy businessmen. To the delight of the audience, he stated that the government does not have to spend any additional funds.
He believes that only farmers, locals, and consumers should be represented on the MSP committee. "Those who have taken the corporate course should not be admitted." These are the people who believe that if a calf drinks one litre of her mother's milk every day, the farmer will lose ₹3,000 every month.
"Those who have never ploughed a field with oxen." For the past 30 years, we've been dealing with people like these. They are corporate advocates, and the government would like to bring such individuals to the table," he explained.
Unity is Key
He urged farmers to stick together once more. "People are asking why a panchayat is being held in Kairana. Some people don't like your mel-milap (rapprochement)," he remarked, referring to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's repeated references to a supposed departure of a Muslim community from the town.
"We've come to Kairana to find out why Kairana's youthful workers are forced to seek employment in Haryana's Panipat." Why can't those industries set their business here? We've come to point out that electricity here costs ₹175 per horsepower, while it costs ₹135 per horsepower across the Yamuna. Is U.P.'s chief minister less powerful than Haryana's?" he wondered.
