Tears, joy as Tikait leads supporters back home

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

Ghazipur/Muzaffarnagar, Dec 15

Celebratory chants rented the air at the Uttar Pradesh-Delhi border in Ghazipur on Wednesday morning as BKU leader Rakesh Tikait led hordes of supporters back home after 383 days of protests at the site.

All but one farmer, Gandharva Singh (90) from Etawah, followed Tikait back in his victory procession that moved from Ghazipur to Soram, the headquarters of western UP’s khap panchayats, ending in Tikait’s native village Sisauli in Muzaffarnagar late in the evening.

“Farmers’ movement has shown that fighting the government is not equal to fighting against the nation. In fact, it is just the opposite… will keep striving to realise the rights of farmers. Our demand for the resignation of Minister of State for Home is pending,” said Tikait, halting at several locations during the road journey to accept greetings from indebted farmers.

While some presented Tikait with plaques of honour, others showered petals, catapulting the Jat leader from western UP into a formidable force no political party in UP can ignore with elections round the corner.

Tikait’s messaging, as he vacated the Ghazipur border after a “havan”, was one of unity, resilience and apolitical nature of the farm movement.The presence of commoners at Tikait’s farewell showed he had struck a chord.

Supporters of the movement were seen embracing one another as temporary structures were dismantled. But Gandharva Singh, 90, was too nostalgic to return. He sat near the “havan kund”, his mood pensive. “My family is leaving. I feel distraught. I don’t want to return,” he told this correspondent, his son Devendra Dev standing by. Ghazipur resident Manisha Choudhary distributed sweets. She was among the many locals who joined the movement, visiting the protesters and fetching them essential supplies.

“We will miss the farmers a lot,” said Manisha as Tikait and supporters left Ghazipur, dancing and singing patriotic songs, and exuding hope along the way.