The Bharatiya Kisan Union is a leading organisation highlighting the plight of farmers. What were the issues addressed by it in the nineties and to what extent were they successful?

The Bharatiya Kisan Union was established in 1980. It is mainly active in Punjab and Western U.P. In 1986 Mahender Singh Tikait became its chief. Bharatiya Kisan Union is an organization highlighting the plight of the farmers. The state failed to take any action against the farmer for non-payment of bills because the farmers were fully involved in the moment. This movement was against the state and not against the landlords.

The BKU addressed many economic issues:

1. It demanded ending zonal recession on movement of food grains.

2. Electricity rate should be reduced.

3. Price of sugarcane and milk should be raised.

4. It demanded writing of government Levies payable by farmers of Punjab for provision of canals.

5. Adequate compensation in case of natural disaster.

6. Government should take the responsibility for selling the produce. Many demands of BKU were accepted by the government. In most of the cases government made concession. The Bharatiya Kisan Union familiarized the farmers with latest farming techniques, equipments, methods, etc. It inspired farmers to start small scale agro industries.

Right from the beginning BKU remained away from parties and did not align itself from any other political party thus it’s a non-political, secular and non-violent organization.