Bharat Bandh Was Successful, Farmers Won’t Return Empty-Handed: Rakesh Tikait

“The Bharat Bandh was completely successful on the Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s appeal. The farmers across the country took to the streets to express their anger,” Tikait said.

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait (Photo Credit: PTI)

New Delhi: Asserting the ‘Bharat Bandh’ called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha was “successful”, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Monday said the government must not be under the delusion that farmers will return empty-handed.

“The Bharat Bandh was completely successful on the Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s appeal. The farmers across the country took to the streets to express their anger,” Tikait said.

READ: Bharat Bandh: Rahul Gandhi Backs Farmers' Agitation, Calls The Movement 'Non-Violent Satyagraha'

“The bandh also got the support of labourers, traders, employees and trade unions. The political parties of the country also supported the bandh,” he added while expressing his gratitude to those who supported the ‘Bharat Bandh’.

Tikait said the nation is standing with the farmers and urged the government to address their demands.

“The farmers have been on the streets leaving their homes for the last 10 months, but the blind and deaf government neither sees nor hears anything. In a democracy, there is no other option but to protest,” Tikait said.

“The government must not be under the delusion that farmers will return empty-handed. Even today, the farmers are completely adamant on the demand that the laws must be repealed. We appeal to the government to solve the problems of the farmers at the earliest,” he added.

The Bharatiya Kisan Union leader also termed the increase in the purchase price of sugarcane announced by the Uttar Pradesh government as a “big joke” on the farmers.

“There will be an agitation on the streets against this (decision) too soon,” he said.

Tikait further said that some people must have naturally suffered during the ‘Bharat Bandh’.

He, however, added that they must forget one day in the name of the farmers.

The ‘Bharat Bandh’ caused disruptions in traffic movement between Delhi and the neighbouring states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the umbrella body of over 40 farm unions spearheading the farmers’ agitation, had called the ‘Bharat Bandh’ from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The farmers mostly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have been since November last year demanding that the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020, be rolled back and a new law made to guarantee minimum support price for crops.

The farmers fear the three contentious farm laws would do away with the Minimum Support Price system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporations.

Several rounds of talks between the farmers and the government have failed to break the deadlock.