Staff Reporter / MUZAFFARNAGAR
Hundreds of thousands of farmers who gathered here today pledged to intensify their protest to convey the message what they called that ‘Modi’s government is anti-farmer’.
It was the biggest rally in a months-long series of protests to press Narendra Modi’s government to repeal three controversial farm laws.
“They (the Centre) said only a handful of farmers are protesting. Let them see how few are protesting. Let us raise our voices so it reaches the ears of those sitting in parliament,” speaker after speaker declared from the dais.
More than 500,000 farmers attended the rally in the city of Muzaffarnagar, according to local police.
Today’s rally will breathe fresh life into the protest movement, said Rakesh Tikait, the top leader of the farmers.
“We’ll intensify our protest by going to every single city and town of Uttar Pradesh to convey the message that Modi’s government is anti-farmer,” he added.
“If the government understands something, it will be good. Such meetings will be held across the country. We need to save the country from being sold… Farmers, workers and young people should be allowed to live,” Rakesh Tikait – Mahendra Singh Tikait’s son — told thousands of cheering farmers.
Over the past eight months, tens of thousands of farmers have camped on major highways to the capital, New Delhi to oppose the laws, in country longest-running farmer’ protest against the government.
The measures, introduced last September, allow farmers to directly sell their produce, outside government-regulated wholesale markets, to big buyers. The government says this will unshackle farmers and help them get better prices.
Farmers, however, say the legislation will hurt their livelihood and leave them with scant bargaining power against big private retailers and food processors.
The farmers have decided to continue with such protests across the state, where they will campaign against the ruling Yogi Adiyanath government ahead of next year’s elections. They plan to take their message to every village of the state.
The farmers plan to hold the next mahapanchayat in Karnal on September 7. Over the next six months, they plan to hold 17 mega meetings in cities including Lucknow, Varanasi and Gorakhpur. They also plan to hold an all-India strike on September 27.
Balbir Singh Rajewal, another farmers’ leader, said Sunday’s rally was a warning for Prime Minister Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party, which next year will a contest state assembly election in Uttar Pradesh, often seen as a barometer of the popularity of the federal government.
“Our message is very clear – either repeal the laws or face defeat in the state election,” he added.
