Deepender Deswal
Tribune News Service
Hisar, February 18

Toughening his stand on the three farm laws, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait today urged farmers to be ready to sacrifice the produce for one season by setting the standing crops on fire to keep the peasantry alive for the next 20 years.

In a strongly worded statement during the ‘kisan mahapanchayat’ at Kharak Punia village in Hisar district, Tikait made it clear that the agitation would not weaken till the government accepted their demands.

“The government should not be under the impression that the movement will weaken during the harvesting season. If the government tries to create hurdles, be prepared to set the crops on fire,” he said.

“Farmers will harvest the crops to keep their annual quota of grain at home and then destroy the rest. We will harvest the crops and continue our agitation at the same time,” he said.

He asserted that the government was mistaken if it thought that farmers would return home and the agitation would end in two months.

Accompanied by BKU leaders Gurnam Singh Charuni and Yudhvir Singh, Tikait addressed ‘mahapanchayats’ at Kharak Punia and Balsamand villages.

“We are out to change the scene across the country. We need one month to correct the powers that be. We will not return without course correction of the ruling party. Farmers in West Bengal are also in crisis and we will have to fight for them as well,” Tikait said.

“Refuel your tractors and be ready facing Delhi’s direction. You can get a call to move at any time as that will be decided by the committee of farmer unions,” he said.

Tikait said after Haryana, they would hold panchayats in other parts of the country, including West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. He said farmers had earlier given a call for a tractor rally in Delhi and the next time, they would go to the national capital with their agricultural implements.