Rakesh Tikait

Chaudhary Rakesh Singh Tikait was born on 4 June 1969 in Sisauli town of Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. He is the son of a prominent farmer leader and BKU co-founder late Mahendra Singh Tikait. His eldest brother is Naresh Tikait, who is the National President of the BKU.

He upholds Gandhian ideology.{{cite web | last=Mehrotra | first=Vani | title=Ideological fight with govt, will return home when new farm laws are repealed: Rakesh Tikait | website=India TV News | date=2021-01-31 | url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/rakesh-tikait-response-repeal-farm-laws-pm-modi-all-party-meet-farmers-protest-681573}}

Tikait graduated with an M.A. degree from Meerut University and then did LLB after that. He joined Delhi Police in 1992, as constable then Sub Inspector,{{cite news |title=Did you know this? Rakesh Tikait, summoned for Delhi tractor rally violence, was once a Delhi Police officer! |url=https://zeenews.india.com/india/who-is-bku-leader-rakesh-tikait-from-delhi-police-si-to-spearheading-farmers-protest-know-more-about-him-2338416.html |access-date=29 January 2021 |work=zeenews |language=en}} but left Delhi police in 1993{{ndash}}1994. After leaving the police, he joined the BKU. After the death of his father, Tikait officially joined BKU and later became its spokesperson.{{cite news |title=जानिए कौन हैं राकेश टिकैत, जो किसानों की तरफ से सरकार से कर रहे बातचीत |url=https://www.aajtak.in/India/news/story/know-who-is-Rakesh-tikait-representing-Indian-farmers-union-1174478-2020-12-09 |access-date=28 January 2021 |work=आज तक |language=hi |trans-title=Find out who is Rakesh Tikait, who is talking to the government on behalf of farmers }} In 2018, Tikait was the leader of Kisan Kranti Yatra from Haridwar, Uttrakhand to Delhi.{{cite news |title=Strong movements will help farmers, says Rakesh Tikait of BKU |url=https://www.thestatesman.com/opinion/strong-movements-will-help-farmers-says-rakesh-tikait-bku-1502745039.html |access-date=28 January 2021 |work=The Statesman |date=13 April 2019}} Tikait had contested the 2007 UP Assembly elections from the Khatauli seat as a candidate of the Bahujan Kisan Dal (BKD) party (with Congress support), only to finish a distant sixth.{{cite web |url=https://old.eci.gov.in/files/file/3261-uttar-pradesh-2007/ |title=Statistical Report on General Election, 2007 to the Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh |website=Election Commission of India |access-date= 25 February 2021 |page=832}}{{cite web |url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/cong-joins-hands-with-tikait/26652/ |title=Cong joins hands with Tikait|newspaper=Indian Express |date=26 March 2007 |agency=Express News Service |access-date= 25 February 2021}} In the 2014 Indian general election, he fought on a Rashtriya Lok Dal ticket from Amroha Lok Sabha constituency.{{cite web |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/a-breakdown-and-the-rise-of-farmer-leader-rakesh-tikait-7167239/ |title=A breakdown, and the rise of farmer leader Rakesh Tikait |newspaper=Indian Express |date=30 January 2021 |author=Harish Damodaran |access-date= 5 February 2021}}

In November 2020, his organization BKU joined the 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest, demanding declaration of MSP as a legal right, exclusion of farmers from the law to curb pollution to allow burning of crops (consensus to which was reached during the sixth round of talks between the Centre and Farmer Union){{Cite web|title=Farm Law Talks: Centre, Farmers Reach Consensus on Power Tariff, Stubble Burning|url=https://thewire.in/government/farmers-protesting-delhi-borders-talks-centre-farm-unions-underway|access-date=2021-03-30|website=The Wire}} and removal of the farm bills."Our biggest concern is that operations in mandis and outside would be different. While mandis would levy taxes, there would be no tax or market fee outside. The government is not abolishing the Agricultural Produce Market Committees directly. However, the mandi system enables an assured minimum support price, which will collapse gradually" said Rakesh Tikait.{{Cite web|title=The mandi system will eventually collapse: Rakesh Tikait on new farm laws|url=https://www.downtoearth.org.in/interviews/agriculture/the-mandi-system-will-eventually-collapse-rakesh-tikait-on-new-farm-laws-73484|access-date=2021-10-13|website=www.downtoearth.org.in|date=21 September 2020 |language=en}} After violence broke out in the National Capital on 26 January (Republic Day), Delhi Police filed an FIR against Rakesh Tikait and a few other farmer leaders for their role in inciting violence on Republic Day and breach of the NOC issued by Delhi Police.{{cite web |url=https://zeenews.india.com/india/yogendra-yadav-darshan-pal-rakesh-tikait-other-leaders-booked-for-violence-during-farmers-tractor-march-in-delhi-2338066.html |title=Yogendra Yadav, Darshan Pal, Rakesh Tikait, other leaders booked for violence during farmers' tractor march in Delhi |website=zeenews.india.com |date=27 Jan 2021 |editor=Pushkar Tiwari |access-date= 5 February 2021}}

On 19 November 2021, the government took the decision to repeal the bills. Both houses of Parliament successfully passed the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 on 29 November.{{cite web | last=Prusty | first=Nigam | title=India's parliament passes bill to repeal controversial farm laws | website=Reuters | date=2021-11-29 | url=https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/indias-parliament-passes-bill-repeal-controversial-farm-laws-2021-11-29/ | access-date=2023-10-29}}

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Category:1969 births

Category:People from Muzaffarnagar district

Category:21st-century Indian farmers

Category:Indian farmers' rights activists

Category:Gandhians

Category:Living people

Category:Leaders of 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest

Category:Rashtriya Lok Dal politicians