UP, Uttarakhand, MP farmers to hold mahapanchayat at Delhi-UP border on Thursday

Farmers from western UP and Uttarakhand are camping at the Ghazipur border under the leadership of BKU’s Rakesh Tikait.

The Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), led by its president Naresh Tikait, will hold a mahapanchayat at the Ghazipur border of Delhi on Thursday to discuss the strategy for the ongoing agitation against three contentious farm laws.

Farmers on dharna at Ghazipur Delhi-UP border during their 'Delhi Chalo' protest march against the new farm laws. (PTI Photo)

Farmers from Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and other parts of the country, along with the heads of different khaps, would participate in the mahapanchayat, said Gaurav Tikait, a young farmer leader and son of Naresh Tikait.

Another round of talks between the protesting farmers and the government was scheduled on December 3, he said. The mahapanchayat would keep a close watch on the outcome of the talks and a decision on the next course of the agitation would be taken accordingly, he added.

Farmers from western UP and Uttarakhand are camping at the Ghazipur border under the leadership of BKU’s Rakesh Tikait.

Social activist Medha Patkar, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad and Jan Adhikar Party’s Paapu Yadav were among the leaders who met the protesting farmers at Ghazipur border. They demanded that the government withdraw the contentious farm laws.

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Jayant Choudhary visited the protesting farmers at Singhu border on Wednesday. After interacting with them, he served food to the farmers at a langar.

“I have come here to earn punya by serving farmers who are protesting for the past seven days in the open, braving the cold and other difficulties. I have no intention to share the farmers’ dais and (I am) getting satisfaction in serving them,” he said.

The RLD leader said the farmers’ demands were genuine and the government should withdraw the contentious farm laws without delay, instead of “buying time” in the name of a dialogue.

The talks between the Central government and the umbrella body of farmers’ unions was inconclusive on Monday. The farmers had rejected the government’s proposal to set up a panel comprising experts and farmers’ representatives to hold negotiations.

The farmers are demanding the repeal of the three farm laws passed by the Parliament earlier this year and have expressed apprehension that they would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the “mercy” of big corporates.

The government has maintained that the new laws will provide farmers with better opportunities. It has also accused the opposition parties of misleading farmers.

Ahead of the second round of talks scheduled for tomorrow, Union home minister Amit Shah held deliberations with Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday to find ways to dispel the farmers’ concerns.