Farmers of UP, Haryana now play bigger role in agitation

New Delhi: The farmers’ agitation, which was earlier dominated by protestors from Punjab, is now witnessing a large participation from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana too, especially at Ghazipur and Tikri border protest sites.

This has enhanced the importance of union leaders from UP and Haryana. Earlier, all the decisions were taken by the 32 farmer unions of Punjab, but now leaders such as Rakesh Tikait from UP and Gurnam Singh Chaduni from Haryana have become more important in planning and decision-making.

Tikait maintains from every stage that manch (stage) and panch (leaders) are the same who negotiated with the government and that everyone is united in any decisions taken by the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella body of 40 farmer unions which is leading the agitation.


However, his opinion holds significance in the new scenario as farmers from western UP and Haryana have joined the protest on his call. On February 6, while the SKM had decided to hold chakka jam (road blockade) across the country, Tikait called it off in UP and Uttarakhand. SKM leader Darshan Pal had said that Tikait should have informed them before making this announcement. The matter was later sorted out among the leaders.

The SKM has planned six mahapanchayats or mega gatherings of farmers over two weeks as part of its efforts to add more numbers to the protest sites. On Friday, mahapanchayats were held in Moradabad in UP and Bahadurgarh in Haryana. Three mahapanchayats will be organised in Sri Ganganagar, Hanumangarh and Seeker in Rajasthan on February 18, 19 and 23 respectively. Besides, one mahapanchayat will be organised in Sirsa in Haryana on February 22 to decide the further course of the agitation. “The impressive series of farmer mahapanchayats continues to unfold in a massive outpouring of support to the farmers’ movement,” read a statement released by the SKM on Friday.