->Billjones94 at 16:40, 5 December 2021

2021-12-05T16:40:12Z

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{{Short description|Indian farmer rights activist}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Mahendra Singh Tikait
| image =
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1935|10|6}}
| birth_place = [[Sisauli]], [[United Provinces of Agra and Oudh]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2011|5|15|1935|10|6}}
| nationality = Indian
| profession = Farmer, Politician
| children = 4 including [[Rakesh Tikait]]
| party = [[Janata Dal]]
}}

'''Mahendra Singh Tikait''' (6 October 1935<ref name="DmsTG">{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110516/jsp/frontpage/story_13987687.jsp|title='Messiah' for farmers who laid siege to capital|date=15 May 2011|accessdate=29 May 2015|work=[[The Telegraph (Calcutta)|The Telegraph]]}}</ref> – 15 May 2011) was an Indian farmer leader from the state of [[Uttar Pradesh]], India. He was born in 1935 at village [[Sisauli]] in [[Muzaffarnagar District]] of Uttar Pradesh. He was President of the [[Bharatiya Kisan Union]] (BKU).<ref name="DmsTG" /> Mahendra Singh Tikait died in Muzaffarnagar on 15 May 2011 from [[bone cancer]] at the age of 75.<ref name="DmsTOI">{{cite news|date=16 May 2011|title=Tikait, farmer leader who laid siege to Delhi, dead|work=[[The Times of India]]|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Tikait-farmer-leader-who-laid-siege-to-Delhi-dead/articleshow/8353773.cms|accessdate=29 May 2015}}</ref>
Tikait had become the ''[[Chaudhary]]'' of [[Balyan (surname)|Baliyan]] [[Khap]], at the age of eight after his father's death.<ref name="DmsTG" />

In January 2021, Mahendra Singh Tikait's two sons organized a protest against new farm laws, with Naresh Tikait being BKU's chief and [[Rakesh Tikait]] its spokesperson.<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 29, 2021|title=Tikait vs Tikait: Brothers Rakesh, Naresh divided on future of Ghazipur protest site|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/tikait-vs-tikait-brothers-rakesh-naresh-divided-on-future-of-ghazipur-protest-site-1763751-2021-01-29|access-date=2021-09-05|website=India Today|language=en}}</ref>

== Career ==
Tikait first became a significant figure in 1987 when he organised a campaign in [[Muzaffarnagar]] demanding the waiving of electricity bills for farmers.<ref name="DmsRdf">{{cite news |url=http://www.rediff.com/news/report/tikait-was-the-strongest-voice-for-farmers-in-n-india/20110515.htm|title=Tikait was the strongest voice for farmers in N India|date=15 May 2011|accessdate=29 May 2015|work=Rediff}}</ref>

=== Boat Club Rally ===
Tikait's rally at [[Delhi|Delhi's]] Boat Club lawns in 1988 drew nearly five [[lakh]] farmers from Uttar Pradesh and occupied the entire stretch from [[Vijay Chowk]] to [[India Gate]]. The [[Rajiv Gandhi]] government bowed to his 35-point charter of demands that included higher prices for sugarcane and the waiving of electricity and water charges for farmers.<ref name="DmsTG" /><ref name="DmsTOI" /><ref name="SCTG">{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091120/jsp/frontpage/story_11764015.jsp|title=Sugar siege melts Delhi Unceasing tide of farmers forces price review|date=20 November 2009|accessdate=29 May 2015|work=The Telegraph}}</ref>

=== Lucknow, 1990 ===
In July 1990, Tikait protested in [[Lucknow]] with over two lakh farmers, urging the [[Government of Uttar Pradesh]] to concede to the farmers' demand for higher sugarcane prices and heavy rebates in electricity dues. The then [[Janata Dal]]-controlled government accepted the demands.<ref name="DmsRdf" />

=== Lucknow, 1992 ===
In 1992, Tikait was back in Lucknow to stage a month-long sit-in [[panchayat]] in pursuance of his demand for writing off farmers' loans up to Rs 10,000. The same year, he launched a Farmers Land Compensation Movement in [[Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh|Ghaziabad]], seeking higher compensation towards the acquired land of farmers.<ref name="DmsRdf" />

=== Bijnore, 2008 - Remarks against Mayawati ===
Tikait was arrested on several occasions, the last being on 2 April 2008 for allegedly making derogatory caste-based remarks against the then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister [[Mayawati]] at a rally in [[Bijnore]] on 30 March 2008. It took a contingent of 6,000 armed policemen to lay a siege around his village for his arrest. He was released only after tendering an apology to the Chief Minister.<ref name="DmsRdf" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=News, Breaking News, Latest News, News Headlines, Live News, Today News CNN-News18|url=http://www.ibnlive.com/news/tikait-arrested--calling-maya-names-was-a-mistake/62478-3.html|access-date=2021-09-05|website=News18|language=en-US}}</ref> When things were back to normal, Mayawati described Tikait, in a condolence message, as a "true and committed leader of farmers".<ref name="DmsRdf" />

== See also ==
* [[Sharad Anantrao Joshi]]
* [[Raju Shetti]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://muzaffarnagar.nic.in/mstikait.htm Official information at NIC]
* [https://starskiduniya.com/2021/01/rakesh-tikait-wiki-biography-family-village-and-politics/ Rakesh Tikait]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tikait, Mahendra Singh}}
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:2011 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Muzaffarnagar district]]
[[Category:Indian farmers]]
[[Category:Indian Hindus]]
[[Category:Deaths from bone cancer]]
[[Category:Farmers' rights activists]]
[[Category:Janata Dal politicians]]

Mahendra Singh Tikait - Revision history

->Billjones94 at 16:40, 5 December 2021