- On January 27, an ultimatum was issued by Ghaziabad administration to vacate the protest site at Ghazipur
- As security forces gathered at the site, an impassioned Tikait threatened to lay down his life for the farmers’ protest
- Support came from SAD leaders and protesting farmers as tension grew at Ghazipur
TAD NewsDesk, New Delhi: Surpassing several layers of barricades, thousands of farmers have started collecting at Ghazipur protest site on the Delhi-UP border. The tearful video of Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait is the source of inspiration that stirred the protesters towards the dharna site. In the video, Tikait made a passionate appeal to the protesters to keep up the struggle which motivated thousands of protesters to move towards the site in huge numbers.
As an aftermath of Tikait’s appeal video, the farmers’ protest regained its lost momentum after the violence in Delhi during the tractors parade on Republic day.
Moved by the BKU leader’s tears, protesters flocked the site, evident from the large number of tents. Protesters waited for hours just to have a word with Tikait or take a selfie with him as the farmer leader conveyed the farmers’ message to the media.
Informing about the health of Tikait, a BKU member said, “He had complained of blood pressure issues, but is doing fine now”.
Tikait was compelled to make an appeal addressed to the protesters so that they do not flee the struggle at its peak. The situation became tense when the Ghaziabad administration issued an “ultimatum” to the protesters to vacate the Delhi-Meerut expressway. On the night of January 27, security forces began heading to the site to put pressure on the protesters, inspiring fears in the hearts of farmers.
Afraid that the protesters would be forcibly evicted, an emotional Tikait broke down and declared in front of the media,
“The protest won’t be called off. Farmers are being met with injustice”.
Soon after, support started pouring in from the Shiromani Akal Dal and SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal paid a visit to the Ghazipur border to have a talk with Tikait. Similarly, fellow protesting farmers who had started moving towards their home after the violence on Republic Day also made a return carrying tricolours and raising slogans. A group of youth took out a Tiranga rally near the Delhi-Meerut expressway and danced to patriotic songs.
Sarita Rana, a BKU member said she and her husband could hardly sleep the night they watched the video of Tikait weeping.
“The government has been trying to scuttle the protest by blocking roads and withdrawing facilities such as water and power supply. But this has strengthened our resolve to fight on,” Rana said.
Farmers passed layers of barbed wire fencing that was added to the existing multi-layered barricading at the protest site to reach the protest site. Thanking the farmers bringing water-filled cans from their hometown for Tikait, he said that the water would be emptied in Ganga.
As per the estimate of a BKU member, over 10,000 farmers flocked to the UP Gate protest site after listening to the farmer leader.
Source – TOI
