E-Paper
Split in the union leaves farmers divided
BKU leaders blame state government for a faction of the union breaking away to form a new group. They say this was a deliberately action to weaken the unity of farmers under the aegis of BKU
The farmers’ movement in the agriculture belt of western U.P. and the home turf of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) received a jolt on the birth anniversary of its stalwart leader late Mahendra Singh Tikait on May 14 this year, when a group of its prominent leaders declared to form a separate body, which they named BKU (Apolitical).
BKU chief and head of Baliyan Khap Naresh Tikait blamed the state government for the division, which, he said, was done to weaken the unity of farmers under the aegis of BKU.
Later, union leader Rakesh Tikait also accused the BJP and the government for this defection. He said the government was afraid of the 13-month-long movement of farmers against the three controversial farm laws. Therefore, it conspired to break the union, he remarked and added that “people will teach them a lesson for their misdeeds”.
In general, people and farmers too believe that the government was pulling the strings from behind the curtain to break the unity of farmers.
BKU’s district president in Muzaffarnagar Yogesh Sharma also accused the BJP and the state government for the division in the union. “It’s an open secret from day one about who was behind it.” Sharma added that not only was a conspiracy hatched to divide the union, but also no opportunity was left to harass and exploit the farmers.
He said the BJP had promised free electricity for irrigation and timely payment of sugarcane dues, which still remained unfulfilled. “They conspired to divide the union and break the unity of farmers, install metres on tubewells to charge for electricity used for irrigation and increase electricity loads to tubewells that would result in additional financial burden.”
Those who broke away from the union include a few prominent farmer leaders. Malik khap head Ch Rajendra Singh has been appointed as the mentor of the new group. On the other hand, all thambedars (regional heads of khaps), including Baba Shyam Singh, extended their support to BKU.
Experts say the BJP tried its best to neutralise the support of khaps to the farmers’ movement but couldn’t do it.
A majority of farmers, however, believe that the association of Ch Rajendra Singh won’t do much of a favour to the faction since the thambedars are not with it.
Besides, the Tikait brothers also exhibited their strong grip on the farmers’ community by organising a mahapanchayat in Kakra village soon after faction group BKU(Apolitical) was formed.
The BKU leaders blamed that rival groups were quite active in meeting with senior officials in the ministeries and secretariat to raise the issues of farmers. They said that the faction group’s easy access to senior officials only goes to show how the government was helping them from behind the scene.
The rival group, however, denied the charges and alleged that the Tikait brothers had done nothing for farmers. Once a confidante of Rakesh Tikait in BKU, Dharmendra Malik is now the spokesperson of BKU(Apolitical). He accused the Tikaits of getting involved in politics, which prompted the rival leaders to branch out of BKU. “We are committed to farmers and should keep ourselves away from the politics,” Dharmendra said as he denied the charges of working on behest of the government.
