E-Paper
Farmers ready to sacrifice one crop for protest, Bharatiya Kisan Union ups ante
As farmers are preparing to continue their camps on Delhi borders in summer months, alternative arrangements are being made to take care of the harvest season as well.
As Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait asked farmers to be ready to sacrifice one crop in the interest of continuing the ongoing protest against the farm laws, it has been made clear that the protest on Delhi borders will not be withdrawn. Either the farmers will accept the loss of one crop or farmers will take the help of more workers to harvest crops. But the protest sites will not be vacated, the union leader has said.
After rail roko on February 18, the Bharatiya Kisan Union is now planning to reach Kolkata on tractors, as Rakesh Tikait said at Hisar mahapanchayat on Thursday.
Following Republic Day violence in Delhi, the focus of the protest has shifted to garner more support from other states through mahapanchayats to counter the government's claim that only Punjab farmers are protesting the laws. A number of mahapanchayats of Kisan Sabhas have been held in January-February in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab. Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi, Sachin Pilot have attended these gatherings.
The BKU leadership has upped the ante against BJP leaders and said they will not be invited to any family function or programme until the farm crisis is resolved. The decision was recently taken at a panchayat of farmers held at Muzaffarnagar. "Consider this an order or advice, but nobody should send them (BJP leaders) invitations (for functions)," BKU chief Naresh Tikait said.
Farmers have been protesting against three agriculture laws since November, making little headway in the stalemate situation. The implementation of the laws has been put on hold by a Supreme Court order. While the government has reiterated that room for more discussion is open, no date for further discussion has been fixed yet. Farmers union leaders are travelling and attending Kisan sabhas.
The image of the protest has been sullied after Republic Day when protesters entered Delhi resulting in a stand-off with the police. After the Republic Day tractor march, the farmers observed 'chakka jam', 'rail roko' across the country.
