West Bengal Meeting polls | Farmer leaders, civil rights activists marketing campaign towards BJP

Ask the BJP leaders to withdraw the three farm bills, say Rakesh Tikait and Medha Patkar.

Secular and peasant voices in West Bengal should not be divided, said Samyukt leader Kisan Morcha and civil rights activists, who have been fighting in the state for three days, on Sunday. Rakesh Tikait from the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) and the social activist Medha Patkar fought in Nandigram, Singur and Kolkata, calling on people not to vote for the BJP.

“In Delhi, the government doesn’t speak to us. In Bengal the same people go door to door asking for votes. What we are telling the people and farmers is to urge the BJP leaders to withdraw the three bills and come up with a law guaranteeing the minimum support price, ”Rajesh Tikait, who protested in Nandigram and Kolkata, told The Hindu. Regarding the BJP’s farmers program, in which party leaders visit farm households and collect a handful of grain, Tikait said, “Those who collect food should ensure a minimum support price for them.”

With that in mind, social activist Medha Patkar, who was in Singur on Sunday and Nandigram on Saturday, said that both places have a glorious history of people’s anti-business movement.

“In Singur and Nandigram, people opposed the interests of companies and fought to protect their country. After that, all secular parties joined the movement against land acquisition, ”said Ms. Patkar, who spoke to a Kisan Mahapanchayat in Singur on Sunday. She said even the left-wing parties whose governments had pushed for the acquisition of compulsory land supported the law against the acquisition of compulsory land. She also drew a parallel between the struggle in Singur and Nandigram and the peasant protests in Delhi.

Both Ms. Patkar and Mr. Tikait said the goal of their campaign was to dissuade people from voting for the BJP. Mr. Tikait said the Morcha don’t mind if people vote for “Mamataji and Left or Congress”. Interestingly, the left-wing parties, especially those who are part of the Left Front, have distanced themselves from the movement.

You have reached your free item limit this month.

Subscription benefits include

Today’s paper

In a clearly arranged list you will find a mobile-friendly version of articles from the daily newspaper.

Unlimited access

Enjoy reading as many articles as you want, with no restrictions.

Personalized recommendations

A selected list of items that match your interests and preferences.

Faster pages

Switch between articles smoothly as our pages load instantly.

dashboard

A one stop shop to see the latest updates and manage your settings.

Briefing

We will inform you three times a day about the latest and most important developments.

Support quality journalism.

* Our digital subscription plans currently do not include an e-paper, crossword puzzle, or printout.

A letter from the editor

Dear subscriber, dear subscriber,

Thank you!

Your support for our journalism is invaluable. It is a support for truth and fairness in journalism. It has helped us keep up with events and happenings.

The Hindu has always stood for journalism that is in the public interest. At this difficult time, it becomes even more important that we have access to information that affects our health and wellbeing, our lives and our livelihoods. As a subscriber, you are not only a beneficiary of our work, but also a trailblazer.

We also reaffirm the promise here that our team of reporters, editors, fact-checkers, designers and photographers will deliver high quality journalism that stays away from pre-interest and political propaganda.

Suresh Nambath