UP: 26 Farmers From 2 BKU Groups Begin Hunger Strike at Chilla Border

Lucknow: Intensifying their agitation against the Centre’s new agri laws, 15 farmers belonging to Bhartiya Kisan Union (Lok Shakti) from Western Uttar Pradesh began a hunger strike on Saturday at Dalit Prerna Sthal, while 11 farmers of BKU (Bhanu Group) are already on a relay hunger strike at the Chilla border (Noida-Delhi link road) since a fortnight.

Yogesh Pratap Singh, state president, BKU-Bhanu, said since talks with the government remained inconclusive, the farmers has no option but to sit on hunger strike. More people are expected to join the ongoing agitation and will also join the hunger strike. "We will either die or win but not go home till government rolls back the agri laws," Singh told NewsClick.

“The idea of starting a hunger strike is in support of protesting farmers across the country against the new laws,” he added.

Singh said those who sat on hunger strike belong to Gautam Buddh Nagar, Bulandshahr, Firozabad, Aligarh, Kasganj, among other places in the state.

It may be noted that both BKU (Bhanu) and BKU (Lok Shakti) are not part of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 40 farmers unions, which is leading the charge at Delhi's border points in Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur, but have extended their support to the protest and have been camping at the border for the past 30 days

Meanwhile, both the farmers' unions and its hundreds of supporters also carried out a small tractor rally from the Mahamaya flyover to the border in support of the larger one being carried out at Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE). Twenty-five tractors with nearly as many four-wheelers of farmers affiliated with the BKU-Bhanu and BKU- Lok Shakti took part in the rally.

The tractor march was organised as a “rehearsal” ahead of the “Dilli Chalo” call given for January 26 during Republic Day, the farmers said.  The BKU- Bhanu president said that at least 20 of their tractors were also a part of the rally at EPE, and claimed that several of their supporters were stopped at Jewar from coming to the rally.

A farmer who sat on hunger strike said he will die but not go home at any cost He said that very soon people from across Western Uttar Pradesh will launch a hunger strike against the Narendra Modi government if it does not resolve the matters raised by the farmers. He also alleged that Uttar Pradesh police was harassing poor farmers in villages and using every repressive measure to sabotage the farmers' protests.

"When this sit-in protest was started, no one had an idea that it would turn into a massive movement. If the Yogi government thinks it can send back farmers while torturing, seizing tractors or sending notices, they are highly mistaken," Rajveer told NewsClick.

A group of 11 farmers from BKU led by state spokesperson Rakesh Tikait, who have been camping at the Delhi-Noida border in Ghazipur for the last 40 days, are already on hunger strike since December 21 to mount pressure on the government.