Senior leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, Rakesh Tikait, who participated in the meetings between the farmers demanding the repeal of agriculture reform laws and the Centre, said there is no question of the protesters on Delhi’s outskirts returning to their homes till the Centre accedes to their demands. Talking to BusinessLine from Ghazipur border, he said what is going on is an ideological battle between the Centre and the farmers.

“Is this Government trying to defeat the farmers and rule this country? Are they trying to defeat the people of this country? We are ready to discuss everything. We will meet again on January 4. But the protest will go on as it is until the laws are repealed,” he asserted.

Tikait said an ideological battle cannot be suppressed so easily. The government should not try to use force. “They must explain why they brought these anti-farmer laws without discussing them with the farmers. If you disturb agriculture in this country, farmers will not take it with folded hands. You have sold everything that belonged to this country. We will not allow them to sell agriculture,” he said.

When asked why the mobilisation in Ghazipur is thin compared to that Singhu border, he said many of the farmers are at their farms. “They are ready to come at any time. Now harvest of wheat and sugarcane are going on. People in our villages know everything. The government is using the media, but every time they mention the name of farmers, it will be good for the movement,” he said.

Tikait said every farmers’ organisation is united in the protest. “This is not an agitation of any organisation. This struggle belongs to every farmer and every person who are working on the soil. Everyone is welcome to participate in this protest and people will teach those organisations a lesson who tried to defame this protest,” he added.

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