Reunion with Yograj family to increase BKU clout, Tikait grip on Khap

MEERUT: With Baliyan khap chief Naresh Tikait and former minister Yograj Singh’s families burying the hatchet after 20 odd years, farmer politics under the Bharatiya Kisan Union is likely to get a boostin the region, especially after many BKU leaders distanced themselves from the parent body and formed a new organisation some time back .

Tikait family and Yograj’s family turned foes after Yograj’s father Jagbeer Singh was murdered in September 2003 in his village Alawalpur Majra which is situated close to Tikait’s village Sisauli in Muzaffarnagar district .

Yograj Singh named three people, including Naresh Tikait, in the case. The then BKU chief Mahendra Singh Tikait was shocked at this as Naresh was his elder son. The case continued for 20 years and eventually the session court of Muzaffarnagar aquitted Naresh Tikait from charges of murder in August last year. Meanwhile, Naresh Tikait became president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union( BKU) and Chaudhary of Baliyan Khap after tyhe demise of his father M S Tikait in 2011.

After his aquittal, the state government opposed the decision in the Allahabad high court and after somr time Yograj also filed a petition in the high court.

Yograj’s family also belongs to Baliyan Khap and his father Jagbeer Singh was a political stalwart in the region, as well as district president of the Congress when the party was in power in the state.

BKU’s district president in Muzaffarnagar, Yogesh Sharma said the compromise between the two families would give an impetus to farmer politics in the region. He said that Yograj’s father was also a stalwart farmer leader in the area with good following and after his death Yograj carried on his legacy. His following multiplied after he became minister in the BSP government. “ Bonding of these two forces will also bring their followers under the aegis of BKU which is a flagship organisation of farmers”, explained Sharma.

On the other hand, the compromise will further elevate the stature and strengthen the grip of Naresh Tikait over Baliyan Khap which is one of the biggest khaps in the area with its members in 86 villages.

Subhash Baliyan, general secretary of Sarv Khap Panchayat who played a pivotal role in uniting these two farmer families, claimed that M S Tikait’s name came into limelight after 1987 while Jagbeer Singh was an established political name in the region before that. Singh later formed Rashtriya Kisan Morcha and held farmer movements parrallel to Tikait.

Outlining the social impact of the reunion, he said that people asked how could Baliyan Khap leaders settle issues if they could not sort out their own matters and disputes “ The compromise will end such criticism and pave the way for settling many other existing issues among members of Baliyan and other khaps. Naresh Tikait will sit in such settlement panchayats with bigger strength,” he explained .

Regarding division in the BKU after the 13-month movement against three agrarian bills , Sharma said, “ the division was orchestrated by the ruling BJP to weaken the strength of the BKU after the farmers’ movement. It is also a fact that many such organisations came into existence after their leaders parted ways from BKU but majority of farmers has trust only in BKU and Tikait family”.

Yograj Singh also said that this new development would help facilitate compromises in existing issues among villagers and people would come close to each other. “ A conducive and harmonious atmosphere in villages will eventually help strengthen farmers movement in the area”, said Singh

Yograj Singh joined the BSP in 2004 soon after the demise of his father and Mayawati fielded him in Khatauli constituency against Rajpal Singh Baliyan of RLD and Rakesh Tikait of Bharatiya Kranti Dal. Yograj won the election in 2007. He became minister in BSP government between 2007 to 2012.

He then contested 2012 assembly election as BSP candidate from newly created Budhana constituency but was defeated by Samajwadi Party’s Amir Alam Khan.

He then left the BSP and joined the RLD in 2015 and again contested from Budhana constituency as RLD candidate in 2017 but was defeated by Umesh Malik of the BJP.

Singh claimed that in 2012 there was a wave of Samajwadi Party and after the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, people voted for the BJP in 2017 elections and he lost.