'Supporting BJP My Biggest Mistake': BKU's Naresh Tikait at Munderwa Mahapanchayat
Munderwa: The Bharatiya Kisan Union's grand farmers’ meeting at Munderwa in Basti district of Uttar Pradesh on February 25, gave impetus to the movement in the Purvanchal region.
Large multitudes of farmers in green turbans, green-white caps, women and youth gathered for the mahapanchayat in a field near the Munderwa sugar mill, in spite of the fact that the Mahapanchayat had not been publicised much. Shortly after the panchayat started, four-wheelers were stopped by police from entering the assembly venue.
The Kisan Mahapanchayat, which lasted for more than four hours, was addressed by Naresh Tikait, the national president of the BKU. In his address, Tikait alleged that the BJP government is bent on destroying the farmers. “If we lose our lands, and can no longer carry out farming, what will we be left with? We have carried out farming for thousands of years and will not leave our land under any circumstances,” he said.
Tikait urged the farmers to sever all ties with BJP legislators and not to invite them to any events. He added that extending support to the BJP was his biggest mistake and that he never meant for his meetings to become BJP's election rallies. “Today, the government has clashed with us (farmers). We only want the talks to happen smoothly, the prices of crops to be paid properly, and our soil to be saved," he said.
Farmers in large numbers attend the 'Kisan Mahapanchayat' in UP's Shamli district on February 5. Photo: PTI
Munderwa has been a favourite with farmers as a site of protest for decades. The BKU has a strong base in this area. Diwan Chandra Chaudhary, who hailed from the region and passed away in March 2020, was the national vice-president of the BKU once. Under his leadership, a huge movement was kickstarted in 2002 over cane prices. Three farmers were killed in police firing in these protest.
At the Kisan Mahapanchayat on February 25, all farmer leaders including Naresh Tikait paid homage to Diwan Chandra Chaudhary as well as the farmers killed in the 2002 agitation, Badri Prasad, Jugni and Tilak Raj. Tikait described Chaudhary as the right-hand of the farmers’ union in Purvanchal and also paid tributes to other towering farmer leaders of Purvanchal like Mukesh Chaudhary, Benimadhav Tiwari and Pateshwari Chaudhary. He said that it was the responsibility of the youth to galvanise the current movement which is inspired by their legacy.
The Mahapanchayat was addressed by national vice-president of BKU Balram Singh Lambardar, Mahendra Pal Singh Chauhan, state vice-president of the BKU's youth unit Digambar Singh, Harnam Verma, Suresh Yadav and others.
Tikait said that the farmer community is hardworking and intelligent. "We will spread the movement from east to west and drive it with discipline. We do not have a personal enmity with anyone, but if someone is in the wrong, we will definitely correct them,” he said.