Mahendra Singh Tikait
Encyclopedia
Mahendra Singh Tikait (6 October 1935 – 15 May 2011) was a noted India
n leader of farmers from western Uttar Pradesh
state. He was born in 1935 at village Sisauli
in Muzaffarnagar District
of Uttar Pradesh. He was the President of the 'Bharatiya Kisan Union'. Tikait died in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh on 15 May 2011 due to protracted illness from bone cancer at the age of 76. He was a Jat of Balyan
Khap
.
The BKU received national attention in 1988, when its supporters organised a virtual siege in Meerut in pursuit of higher prices for sugarcane, cancellation of loans and lowering of water and electricity rates.
In 2006, around one lakh (100,000) farmers gathered in Mumbai during heavy rains to protest against Government's WTO and anti-farmers policies.A memorandum addressed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was released urging to keep agriculture out of WTO. Tikait said " It does not matter how much it rains here. We will not stop our fight. The Government will have to hear us. We need a change of Policies".
late Ch.Charan Singh(1979–80)in western U.P. was called the second 'Maseeha'or The Savior of farmers. On 17 October 1986 he formed a non-political organization named 'Bhartiya Kisan Union(BKU)' to protect the interests of all the farmers of India, who form an overwhelming majority in the population of the country.
One journalist asked him "Whether the Kisan Union also represented the landless labourers, Tikait attempted to side-step the question by saying "There is no Mazdoor(Labourers) as such. We are all labourers...Some are big labourers, some are small...Who is the rich farmer? There is no rich farmer.The house we are sitting in belongs to a farmer who is considered the third richest in this village of 20,000 people.And yet he does not have even 18 acres (72,843.5 m²) of land-the ceiling".
Chief Minister
Mayawati
at a rally in Bijnore on March 30, 2008. Almost 6000 men from the security forces had surrounded Tikait in his village. The entire row sparked off after Tikait had referred to Mayawti by her caste.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n leader of farmers from western Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
state. He was born in 1935 at village Sisauli
Sisauli
Sisauli is a town and a Nagar Panchayat in Muzaffarnagar district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-Geography:Sisauli is located at . It has an average elevation of 238 metres .-Demographics:...
in Muzaffarnagar District
Muzaffarnagar District
Muzaffarnagar district is a district of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. It is part of Saharanpur division. The town of Muzaffarnagar is the district headquarters.-Communication:...
of Uttar Pradesh. He was the President of the 'Bharatiya Kisan Union'. Tikait died in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh on 15 May 2011 due to protracted illness from bone cancer at the age of 76. He was a Jat of Balyan
Balyan
Balyan , classically called the Bolingeans , is the gotra caste of the Jat tribe located in Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh in India.They are very powerful people.- History and origin :...
Khap
Khap
The Khap and Sarv Khap was a system of social administration and organization in the republics of Northwestern Indian states such as Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh since ancient times. Khap is a term for a social - political grouping and used in a geographical sense...
.
Leader of farmers and peasants
Tikait was a leader of farmers and President of the Bharatiya Kisan Union. He led a number of mass Kisan movements against the state and central governments in India to support the rights of the farmers. He led many international delegations with him around the globe. The character of Kisan movements since the 1970s has been a matter of considerable debate. Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) worked in close cooperation with international organizations such as La Via Campesina, Farmers Coordination Committee India etc.The BKU received national attention in 1988, when its supporters organised a virtual siege in Meerut in pursuit of higher prices for sugarcane, cancellation of loans and lowering of water and electricity rates.
In 2006, around one lakh (100,000) farmers gathered in Mumbai during heavy rains to protest against Government's WTO and anti-farmers policies.A memorandum addressed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was released urging to keep agriculture out of WTO. Tikait said " It does not matter how much it rains here. We will not stop our fight. The Government will have to hear us. We need a change of Policies".
Rise of Bhartiya Kisan Union
Poverty and Lack of Political power was a constant theme in the discourse of Tikait, the leader of Kisan Union. After the death of former Prime Minister of IndiaPrime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
late Ch.Charan Singh(1979–80)in western U.P. was called the second 'Maseeha'or The Savior of farmers. On 17 October 1986 he formed a non-political organization named 'Bhartiya Kisan Union(BKU)' to protect the interests of all the farmers of India, who form an overwhelming majority in the population of the country.
One journalist asked him "Whether the Kisan Union also represented the landless labourers, Tikait attempted to side-step the question by saying "There is no Mazdoor(Labourers) as such. We are all labourers...Some are big labourers, some are small...Who is the rich farmer? There is no rich farmer.The house we are sitting in belongs to a farmer who is considered the third richest in this village of 20,000 people.And yet he does not have even 18 acres (72,843.5 m²) of land-the ceiling".
Mahendra Singh Tikait-Rural Agitation and Farmer's Movement
The villages adjoining his village have not paid electricity bills for a long time, yet have not been penalised by successive governments.Remarks against Mayawati
Tikait was arrested and later released on bail on April 2, 2008 for allegedly making derogatory and caste-based remarks against Uttar PradeshUttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
Chief Minister
Chief Minister
A Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...
Mayawati
Mayawati
Mayawati is the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, India. She heads the Bahujan Samaj Party, which represents the Bahujans or Dalits, the weakest strata of Indian society. This is her fourth term as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh...
at a rally in Bijnore on March 30, 2008. Almost 6000 men from the security forces had surrounded Tikait in his village. The entire row sparked off after Tikait had referred to Mayawti by her caste.
Farmers plan protest march against talks
Thousands of farmers, under the banner of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), are expected took part in a protest march on Thursday against India hosting an informal WTO meeting in the Capital, BKU said on Wednesday.Kisaan Jagriti Divas
The farmers celebrate kisaan jagriti divas on the birthday of kissan maseeha Mahendra singh tikait's birthday in whole India.External links
- Mahendra Singh Tikait Arrested before Surrender In Muzaffarnagar
- Mahendra Singh Tikait addressing a press conference in Mysore
- Tikait, supporters arrested to prevent BKU rally
- Tikait declares: Love marriages are dirty
- Tikait in THE HINDU
- http://www.hinduonnet.com/2004/03/22/stories/2004032202611300.htm
- Official information at NIC