Election pundits are watching which side the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) will lean towards during the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. in an interview with HinduBKU national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait categorically stated that the Sangh will remain apolitical and has no political ambitions.
“We are farmers and not in politics. Those who work for their interests, the farmers will choose them on their own.
There are indications that the UP government will soon increase the state advisory price (SAP) of sugarcane. Mr. Tikait said that the BJP would try to divert the attention of the farmers before the elections. “The party had promised a rate of Rs 370″ [per quintal] before the 2017 election. Even if they extend SAP after four years, the party has a lot to answer for. In view of inflation, farmers will not settle for less than Rs 425 [per quintal],” he said.
Refusing to take credit for spearheading the farmers’ movement in western Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Tikait said the BKU would continue to act as a pressure group to put a stop to the promises made by political parties to farmers. “The movement has given an opportunity to the opposition parties to be the face of the farmers. How this will happen, I do not know as I am not into vote-bank arithmetic. I have no political ambitions,” he said.
Baghpat incident
Terming the ritual ceremony of former Rashtriya Lok Dal president Ajit Singh in Baghpat as a “social event”, he said the presence of his elder brother and BKU president Naresh Tikait at last week’s event should not be interpreted politically. “You will not see me sharing the political stage with Jayant (Chowdhary) or any political leader. We also pay tribute to Chaudhary Devi Lal on his birth anniversary, but that does not mean that we are with INLD politically.
On the assumption that the BKU cadre would put its weight behind the RLD, Mr. Tikait said there were many in the movement who would eventually vote for the BJP. “There are many people who give full support to the movement but I know they will go with the BJP because of local pressure. If the government decides to increase the price of sugarcane, it will benefit all farmers and not farmers of any particular caste or religion.”
However, he did not rule out the possibility of members of the Tikait family coming to the ground. “I can only guarantee my vote. I can’t even assure you my wife,” he laughed.
From raising religious slogans to talking about pensions for paramilitary personnel and permanent jobs for Safai Karamcharis, Mr. Tikait in his speeches gives the impression that he wants a place in the political arena. He said that the movement has become like a train, where different coaches represent different social classes.
“The movement has given us a platform to reach out to them and promote social harmony. The constitution allows us to recite religious chants. After the Muzaffarnagar Mahapanchayat, Muslim farmers rang bells in temples. Can BJP get them to do this?” he said. “We have realized that the Muzaffarnagar riots were sponsored by the BJP.”
Referring to the tension between Gujjars and Rajputs over the statue of Emperor Mihir Bhoj in Muzaffarnagar on Sunday and the mahapanchayat convened by the Jats’ alliance, Mr. Tikait said the ruling party is at it again. “They have a special wing that works on dividing people while we try to mend relations,” he said.
He argued that Dalit is a relative term. “For those living in high-rise buildings, anyone who rubs their hands in the fields is a Dalit. Those who raised questions about me taking rest in an AC tent, they also think the same way.” He said that another good thing was that this movement was the return of the youth to the villages. “They have started taking interest in their ancestral land. With employment opportunities dwindling, the land will at least feed them. The future looks bleak. I am appealing to the youth to stay away from bad habits like drugs and dowry and cut down on expenditure on weddings and other rituals.”
The BKU spokesperson lauded the government’s plan to provide free ration to agricultural labourers, but cautioned that it should not be limited to a vote-seeking measure. “The poor want jobs. They accept free gifts but also know it’s not going to last forever.”
talks with the government
Ahead of the first anniversary of the passage of three controversial agriculture laws, Mr. Tikait said farmers’ unions are willing to talk if the government is ready to discuss a law guaranteeing minimum support prices to farmers. He said, ‘This government is lying to the people. When they put a condition that the laws will not be repealed, we said that since the agriculture laws are currently suspended, we can talk on the MSP law, but there was no response,” Mr. Tikait said.
On the practicality of the MSP law in a free market economy, he said when business houses can impose price tags on their products and the law supports it, why can’t farmers get an assured minimum price on their produce. “The PM himself raised the demand for guaranteed MSP in 2011, when he was the chief minister of Gujarat,” he said.
Meanwhile, social media is abuzz with his tweets to the US President to draw his attention to the peasant movement. “India is not North Korea. Not that I have introduced them to the issue. The world knows about the protest of farmers in India. BKU has been against WTO policies in the past. Now, many multinational companies, both Indian and American, are taking interest in agribusiness, which will impact the lives of farmers and agricultural workers. At a time when US companies await the passage of the seed bill, farmers’ voices need to be heard.
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