Farmers' Uproar: Mandi System at Risk?

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait accuses the Central government of planning to dismantle the mandi system with a new draft. He highlights the impacts previously seen in Bihar and warns Uttar Pradesh may face similar changes. Tikait raises concerns over farmers' livelihoods and calls for grassroots movements.

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait has accused the Central government of plotting to dismantle the existing mandi system through new legislation. Speaking at a Kisan Mahapanchayat event, Tikait warned that the market committees, which have been closed in Bihar since 2006, may soon see a similar fate in Uttar Pradesh.

Under the proposed system, farmers are allowed to sell grains outside designated mandis, leading to decreased revenue and grain inflow. Tikait criticized the government for not revising land rates since 2013, adding pressure on farmers, whom he fears may become landless over time. He called for a movement to save agricultural land by 2047.

Addressing cultural sentiments, Tikait pointed to societal pressures at religious events like the Kumbh Mela. He alleged manipulation by industrialists, buying crops at low prices to unfairly sell at higher rates, thereby cheating farmers out of a fair minimum support price.

(With inputs from agencies.)