BKU leader Rakesh Tikait addresses a mahapanchayat at Garhi Sampla village in Rohtak. Tribune photo
Sunit Dhawan
Tribune News Service
Rohtak, February 16
Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait on Tuesday demanded the creation of an ‘agriculture cabinet’ for addressing the concerns of farmers effectively.
Addressing the gathering at a farmers’ mahapanchayat on Sir Chhotu Ram’s birth anniversary at his memorial in Sampla, Tikait said several ministries and departments were looking after the farm sector.
“There is no agriculture ministry or minister in the country. The minister we are talking to has only 18 per cent charge of agriculture while the rest is being taken care of by other ministries,” he stated.
Pointing to dismantling of the mandi regime, Tikait remarked that agriculture-related laws enacted during the tenure of Sir Chhotu Ram were now being “broken” in his state.
“The MSP regime brought prosperity to farmers in Punjab and Haryana. Farmers in Uttar Pradesh come to Haryana to sell their produce, but this practice has been stopped by the government,” he maintained. He exhorted farmers to stay united and appreciated the contribution of members of the Sikh community to the agitation. He said farmers’ panchayats would also be organised in West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat and other states.
Balbir Singh Rajewal, Gurnam Singh Charuni, Inderjit Singh and other farmer leaders reiterated their resolve to strengthen the agitation.
Mahapanchayat calls for complete ‘rail roko’
- A mahapanchayat organised under the aegis of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Samiti at Mohana village in Sonepat on Tuesday resolved not to allow the Railway authorities to run trains on February 18.
- “Protesters will assemble at the Sonepat railway station on February 18 and sit on railway tracks between 12 noon and 4 pm,” said samiti leader Ishwar Singh Rathi. He said the protest would be peaceful.
- Rathi said residents of 40 villages attended the mahapanchayat and extended support to the farmers’ agitation. TNS
Tributes to Chhotu Ram
Farmers paid floral tributes to Sir Chhotu Ram in Karnal on Tuesday. They garlanded his statue. Later, they proceeded to the Bastara toll plaza and chalked out their strategy for the ‘rail roko’. Farmer leaders visited villages to garner support for the protest on February 18. TNS