Farm leader Rakesh Tikait urges US President to focus on farm laws ahead of Modi-Biden meet
The farmer leader tweeted to the US President, seeking to draw international attention once again to the protests.
FollowAs Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to meet US President Joe Biden for first bilateral talks, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait on Friday urged the latter to “focus” on the controversial farm laws passed by the Indian government during the meeting.
At least 700 farmers have lost their lives during the protests in the last 11 months and these black laws should be repealed to save us, the farmer leader tweeted to the US President, seeking to draw international attention once again to the protests.
"Dear POTUS, we the Indian Farmers are protesting against 3 farm laws brought by PM Modi's govt. 700 farmers have died in the last 11 months protesting. These black laws should be repealed to save us. Please focus on our concern while meeting PM Modi," Tikait tweeted.
Early in the movement, farm leader Darshan Pal had appealed to the UN in a video. Farm leaders have time and again said they command a lot of support among the Indian diaspora. People have protested against the laws in many cities, from Vienna to Melbourne.
Earlier this year, farmers’ protests gained global attention when Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Meena Harris, an American lawyer and niece of US Vice President Kamala Harris, American singer Rihanna, actor Amanda Cerni, and singers Jay Sean and Dr Zeus had tweeted about the issue.
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Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Tikait has been leading the ongoing farmers’ agitation against three new agricultural laws and camping at the Delhi borders since November 2020. The farmers fear the three farm laws will do away with the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporations.
However, the Centre has maintained that the new laws are pro-farmer and has held 11 rounds of formal dialogues with the farmers.
