Farmers ready to sacrifice a crop but would not let movement weaken: Rakesh

Farmers are ready to sacrifice one crop, but will not leave the protest sites and let the ongoing agitation weaken at any cost, Tikait on Friday

Farmers are ready to sacrifice one crop, but will not leave the protest sites and let the ongoing agitation weaken at any cost, said Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Friday.

"If the government is not waking up then we can not do anything, but we are not going anywhere. Farmers have been indulging in the farming of loss for the last 70 years. If they have to sacrifice one more crop, they are ready. Even if they have to take the help of more workers to harvest crops, they will do it. They will keep crops at their home but agitation will not be weakened," said Tikait.

Asked about his earlier statement about taking the agitation to the poll-bound West Bengal, Tikait said, "Talks are going on talking out a tractor rally to West Bengal."

Elections for 294 Assembly seats in West Bengal are likely to take place in April-May this year.

The BKU leader said agitating farmers will install fans and coolers to protect themselves from the heat in the upcoming summer season and for that Tikait said, "we will ask for electricity connection from the UP government. If they don't agree then we will ask for an electricity connection from the Delhi government. And if they refuse too, then we will arrange for generators but not let the movement get affected due to heat in summers."

Yesterday while at a maha panchayat at Kharak Punia Hissar, Tikait had said the protesting farmers will take the agitation to the poll-bound West Bengal if the Centre does not concur with their demands against the new farm laws.

"Crops prices are not increased, but fuel prices have gone up. If the Centre ruins the situation, we will take our tractors to West Bengal as well. Farmers have not been getting minimum support price (MSP) there also," he said.

"The Centre should not be under any misconception that farmers will go back for crop harvesting. If they insisted (cracking down the protest), then we will burn our crops. They should not think that the protest will end in two months. We will harvest as well as protest," added Tikait.

Farmers have been protesting at the different borders of the national capital since November last year, against the three newly enacted farm laws - Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.