MEERUT People of western UP witnessed the end of a 20-year old battle between two powerful farmer families of Baliyan Khap in Muzaffarnagar on Tuesday.
The families of Baliyan khap chaudhary Naresh Tikait and former minister Yograj Singh announced to bury the hatchet in the presence of Khap chaudharies and people and embraced each other after two decades. Yograj Singh was elected MLA from Khatauli constituency in 2007 by defeating Rajpal Singh and Rakesh Tikait and served as minister between 2007 to 2012 in the government of BSP leader Mayawati.
Naresh Tikait became chaudhary of Baliyan Khap after demise of his father Mahendra Singh Tikait in 2011. Yograj Singh also belongs to Baliyan Khap. Enmity between the two families began after murder of Yograj’s father Jagbeer Singh in September 2003. He was also a farmer leader and president of Rashtriya Kisan Morcha.
Yograj Singh named Naresh Tikait and two others in the case and a court in Muzaffarnagar aquiited Naresh Tikait in August last year after hearing of two decades. Dissatisfied with the decision, the state government lawyer moved the Allahabad high court which coury summoned all documents and files of the case. Meanwhile, Yograj also filed a petition in the high court against the decision .
Bharatiya Kisan Union’s president in Muzaffarnagar, Yogesh Sharma said that Rakesh Tikait and his family members participated in a panchayat held in Kurawar village of Shahpur area where Yograj Singh and his brother Lekhraj Singh were also present.
They accepted the verdict of Khap chaudharies and panchayat and decided to end their enmity. They then went to Sisauli and met Naresh Tikait and garlanded the statues of Mahendra Singh Tikait and Chaudhary Charan Singh. Tikait family then visited Yograj’s house where both families had dinner together.
{{/usCountry}}They accepted the verdict of Khap chaudharies and panchayat and decided to end their enmity. They then went to Sisauli and met Naresh Tikait and garlanded the statues of Mahendra Singh Tikait and Chaudhary Charan Singh. Tikait family then visited Yograj’s house where both families had dinner together.
{{/usCountry}}Speaking to the3 media Yograj Singh said that a group of people approached him on January 1 and asked to end the enmitiy . He said that RLD chief Jayant Chaudhay also advised him to end it. “ I can’t disobey my society and leader and agreed to do it”, said Singh and added that compromise always helped in moving forward and removed hatred from hearts.
Rakesh Tikait said that it had shown the positive attitude of Khap which always thought for thye betterment of society. He claimed “ Today’s compromise will have a far-reaching impact on society as it will help settling many other existing disputes in society”.
Both familied agreed that after this “ social compromise”, they would do the needful to end it in the court of law.