Rakesh Tikait has been in the news in the recent past as he has been at the helm of the farmers' protests in Ghazipur. The image of him breaking down overnight as he said that there would be no turning back on the protests stands out.??
Farmers have been protesting against the new farm laws for the last 2 months or so and on Republic Day Delhi saw violent clashes erupt between protesters and the police. A couple of days later, farmers led by Tikait refused to leave the UP border as they occupied Ghazipur and continued to protest the laws. Despite being ordered to vacate the place, they did not leave.
So who is this man? And why is he leading the agitation? Well, it does run in his blood. He is the son of none other than the late farmer leader Mahendra Singh Tikait. After his father's death, he continued the legacy of upliftment of the farmers.?
The Bharatiya Kisan Union leader is spearheading the protests from his end. On his appeal, more protesters have joined him. But believe it or not, the man was once a police officer. Yes, Tikait was once employed with the Delhi Police as Sub Inspector.?
It was his father who founded the Bharatiya Kisan Union in 1987. Mahendra's elder son Naresh is the president of the union while Rakesh is the spokesperson.?
Rakesh left the police force to stand with the farmers in the 1990s so he was no longer clashing with his father on the opposite side.
In 1985, he got married to Sunita Devi of Dadri village in Baghpat district of UP. He has a son Charan Singh and two daughters, Seema and Jyoti, who are all married.?
Tikait carries a lot of weight, especially in Western UP. One does not expect him to give up easily, if at all in his quest to get justice for the farmers of India.