NOIDA: Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Monday called on farmers to be prepared for a "long struggle" as he claimed that the Centre has "betrayed" them over issues related to the farming community.
He also demanded that the Centre must explain why no compensation has been paid to "martyrs" of the farmers' protest or a committee formed to look into the issue of the minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
"By betraying farmers of the country, the government has rubbed salt into their wounds. With this betrayal, it is clear that farmers of the country should be ready for a long struggle," the national spokesperson of the influential north Indian farmers' union tweeted in Hindi.
His remark came as sections of farmers observed "Betrayal Day" on Monday on the call of the BKU and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a farmers' collective which spearheaded the over a year-long protest at Delhi's borders from November 2020 against the Centre.
"It's a betrayal to farmers that the cases lodged during the protest have not been withdrawn, the martyrs have not been given compensation, there is no word on electricity bills, no resolution to the notices of central agencies and cases. The Centre should respond to this," Tikait said in another tweet.
The protest on Delhi's borders had started under the banner of the SKM over main demands of withdrawal of three contentious farm laws that were introduced by the BJP-led Centre.
The farmers, who occupied key border points of Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur for over a year, also demanded a legal guarantee of the MSP for crops.
The contentious farm laws were withdrawn by the Centre after Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November last year announced that these will be rolled back.
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farm unions that spearheaded protests against the Centre's agri laws, on Monday threatened to resume its agitation if the government does not fulfil promises made to farmers in December last year.
In a statement, the SKM alleged that the government had not fulfilled any of the promises, including setting up a committee on minimum support price (MSP) and withdrawal of cases against protesters, made to the farmers.
The farmers will be left with no option but to resume their agitation if the government continues to renege on its promises, it said.
Following the call of the SKM, farmers across the country observed "Day of Betrayal" on Monday over the Centre's non-fulfilment of its promises.
Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh camped at Delhi's borders for over a year demanding the repeal of the Centre's three contentious farm laws.
They decided to suspend their protest, which began in November 2020, on December 9 last year after the government gave in to their demand and agreed to consider six others, including withdrawal of cases registered against farmers during the agitation, a legal guarantee on MSP and compensation for kin of farmers who died during the course of the protest.
The statement said it should be noted that none of the assurances given by the central government in its letter to the SKM dated December 9, 2021, has been fulfilled.
"The Morcha warns the BJP government against challenging the farmers' patience, and declares that if the promises are not fulfilled at the earliest, the farmers will be left with no option but to resume the agitation," the SKM said.
In its letter, the Centre had said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that a committee will be constituted on MSP and it would have officials from central and state governments, representatives of farm unions, including from the SKM, and agricultural scientists.
It had stated that governments of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana had agreed to withdraw cases against farmers with immediate effect.
The Centre had also said that cases registered against farmers and their supporters in Delhi and union territories would also be withdrawn.
It had said that Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments had given their in-principle approval to provide compensation to the kin of farmers who died during the agitation.
Thousands of farmers across the country observed "Day of Betrayal" on Monday over the Centre's non-fulfilment of its promises.
"Protest demonstrations were held in hundreds of districts and blocks across India, and memoranda were submitted in the name of the President of India through district collectors, SDMs and ADMs," the SKM said in its statement.
The memorandum addressed to the President stated that as the Head of the State, it is the President's constitutional obligation to protect the interests of farmers and warn the government against committing this "fraud" with them.
"Due to the tireless efforts of the farmers, despite the lockdown and the economic slowdown, the agricultural production of the country has increased continuously. Playing tricks with farmers can be disastrous for the whole country," the memorandum stated.
The SKM said it will continue its "Mission Uttar Pradesh" and campaign across the state to punish and defeat the BJP.
"The new phase of the mission will be announced at a press conference on February 3," it said.
Farmers at several places in Haryana and Punjab on Monday observed "betrayal day", holding demonstrations and accusing the Centre of not keeping its promises to them at the time they suspended their stir against the now-repealed farm laws last year.
The farmers held demonstrations at district headquarters under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha to observe the "vishvasghat diwas".
They said they will be left with no option but to resume their agitation, if the government continues to renege on its promises made to protesting farmers in December 2021.
The farmers staged protests for three hours at several places in the two states including Rewari, Charkhi Dadri, Ambala, Karnal, Jhajjar, Bhiwani, Rohtak, Gohana, Fatehabad, Narnaul, Ferozepur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Gurdaspur and Patiala.
In Punjab, they burned effigies of the Centre while in Haryana effigies of both the BJP-led central and Haryana governments were burnt.
At Hisar in Haryana, farmers staged protests in front of the secretariat building.
Farmer leader Shamsher Singh said the "Vishvasghat Divas" was observed on SKM's call.
"The Centre had promised that the cases against farmers will be withdrawn and for MSP guarantee, a committee will be set up, kin of those farmers who died during the stir will be given a job and compensation but the BJP-led dispensation has gone back on their promises and there has been no progress after we suspended our agitation last year," he said.
Farmers will be left with no option but to resume the stir, he warned.
Memoranda were submitted in the name of the President of India through district collectors, SDMs and other officials, which alleged that the Centre has not fulfilled any of its assurances to farmers.
Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) also held protests in 16 districts in Punjab in the wake of the SKM call.
BKU general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan said the demonstrations were held outside the offices of deputy commissioners and sub-divisional magistrates.
He further said effigies of the central government were burnt in protest against it for going back on its assurances to the farmers.
Similar protests were held by farmer body Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee at many places in Punjab.
"Of the written assurances made by the government of India in the letter to Samyukta Kisan Morcha dated December 9, 2021, not one of them has been fulfilled. The Morcha warns the BJP government against testing farmers' patience and declares that if the promises are not fulfilled at the earliest, the farmers would be left with no option but to resume the agitation," an SKM statement said.