Farmers in Muzaffarnagar all geared up for Kisan Mahapanchayat tomorrow

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha's Kisan Mahapanchayat is going to be held in Muzaffarnagar on Sunday. The spirits of the farmers are high despite continuous rain for three days. Farmers say that they irrigate their land with their blood and sweat, so, there's no question of feeling dismayed or demotivated by rains. In Muzaffarnagar, this Mahapanchayat will be held on the grounds of Government Inter College and its preparations have been going on for a month.

Thousands of farmers have already reached Muzaffarnagar. Farmers from Haryana and Punjab will be reaching on Saturday. Arrangements are being made for cooking food for more than one lakh people.

Muzaffarnagar is the main office of Bharatiya Kisan Union. Late farmer leader Chaudhary Mahendra Singh Tikait was a resident of Sisauli village of this district. The first office of the Bharatiya Kisan Union which was founded by Chaudhary Mahendra Singh Tikait, is also near the place where this Mahapanchayat is being organised.

Regarding the purpose of this Mahapanchayat, there are indications that in view of the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha is going to launch a campaign with an intention of putting pressure on the BJP government at the Centre.

National Spokesperson of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), Dharmendra Malik said that history will be created in Muzaffarnagar on Sunday, September 5. Besides Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, several groups of farmers are also coming from Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu. Hopefully, farmers from all the states of the country will attend this Mahapanchayat and this conference will be historic in this sense, Dharmendra Malik added.

BKU leader Rakesh Tikait has not gone to his home town of Muzaffarnagar since the farmers' agitation was launched. Rakesh Tikait said that he has taken a pledge "Bil vapsi nahi to ghar vapsi nahi" (No returning home till the farm bill is not withdrawn). And that is why he did not go even near the borders of Muzaffarnagar. But he will definitely attend the Mahapanchayat on the instructions of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, although he will not go home. A remarkable thing about this Mahapanchayat is that BKU leader Rakesh Tikait will share the stage for the first time with BKU president Naresh Tikait in the ongoing farmers' movement.

In conversation with this correspondent, Rakesh Tikait said that a large number of farmers and labourers will reach this panchayat from outside. Maintaining order in the midst of such a massive crowd is a big challenge. In view of this challenge, five thousand volunteers have been prepared. I-cards are being issued to them after due diligence.

Volunteers will help the police in maintaining order. Dharmendra Malik, BKU media in-charge busy in arranging the Mahapanchayat, said that an appeal has been made to the residents of the city for cooperation on Sunday. People have been requested to get the important work done a day in advance. However, there will be no hampering in emergency services'

Langer seva (free food service) has already started in Muzaffarnagar. About a hundred medical camps will be organised with the help of farmers and those doctors and hospitals who care about farmers' well-being. Ambulance service will be there. There is parking arrangement also. The farmers who are coming to attend the Mahapanchayat have been requested to park their vehicles in the parking lot and come to the conference on foot. An appeal has been made to the people in the city to reduce the use of vehicles so that it is easier to make arrangements and avoid traffic jams.

BKU national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait also said that the government is scared of this Mahapanchayat and is trying to disturb it. This rumour is being spread that the Mahapanchayat will take place on September 9 instead of September 5. He appealed to the farmers not to pay attention to this rumour.

The Kisan Panchayat in Muzaffarnagar will be held on September 5 as per the pre-determined schedule. On this occasion, Tikait has also appealed to the residents of Muzaffarnagar to take care of the guests who are coming to attend this conference. People coming from outside are our guests, they should not face any kind of problem, for this, everyone should cooperate and set an example in front of the whole country, he said.

He has requested the residents of Muzaffarnagar that the visiting famrers are like our family and relatives and in keeping with their tradition they should be welcomed.

The shopkeepers of the city should also take care of the people coming to the panchayat so that they do not face any problem, Tikait added.