Examine the growth and characteristics of Bhartiya Kisan Union.
Answers
Growth and Characteristics of Bhartiya Kisan Union:
a) It is an organization of farmers from the Western UP and Haryana regions. It is one of the leading organizations in the farmers’ movement in the eighties. The Meerut agitations of farmers were seen as a great show of rural power- power of framer cultivators.
b) The BKU demanded higher government floor prices for sugarcane and wheat, abolition of restrictions on the inert state movement of the farm produce, guaranteed supply of electricity at reasonable rates, waiving of repayments due on loans to farmers and provision of government pension for farmers.
c) Activities conducted by the BKU to pressurize the state for accepting its demands included rallies, demonstrations, sit - ins, and Jail bharo agitations.
d) Another novel aspect of this mobilization was the use of caste linkages of farmers. Most of BKU members belonged to single community.
e) In spite of lack of any formal organization, the BKU could sustain itself for a long time because it was based on clan networks among its members.
f) This organization, along with the other farmers’ organizations across states, did manage to get some of their economic demands accepted.