Mahendra Singh Tikait

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Mahendra Singh Tikait is a popular leader of farmers from Uttar Pradesh in India. He was born in 1935 at village Sisauli in Muzaffarnagar District of Uttar Pradesh, India. He is a Jat of Gahlot gotra. He is Choudhary of Balyan Khap. Tikait was a "Title" conferred to Head of Baliyan Khap by ruler of Thanesar, Raja Harshavardhana, in 7th century. From the time of Raja Harshvardhan the title 'Tikait' is being used by the Choudhary of Balyan Khap, along with his name, way down to generations. He inherited the Chaudharyship of the Khap Baliyan at the age of eight when his father Ch. Chauhal Singh died in 1943.

1 Chaudhary of Balyan Khap
2 Leader of farmers
3 Remarks against Mayawati
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Chaudhary of Balyan Khap

The Chaudharyship of the Baliyan khap had been vesting in his family for the last thirteen centuries. The chaudharyship of a khap panchayat is a hereditary position. A Chaudhary enjoys administrative, adjudicative and executive powers over the khap villages. The chaudhary is held in high esteem and his decisions are binding on his people. At a panchayat meeting of the khap Baliyan held at Sisauli on May 12,1941, a resolution was passed which said : " We will work with our body, heart and soul under the leadership of our Chaudhary for the good of our Khap. Towards this end the Chaudhary of a khap has the right even to demand our lives.", Thus the Chaudahry of a khap panchayat enjoys supreme powers. He had organized a massive rally in Delhi.

[edit] Leader of farmers

He is a leader and President of Bharatiya Kisan Union. He has led a number of mass movements against the state and central governments in India to support the rights of the farmers.

After the death of former Prime Minister of India late Ch. Charan Singh in western U.P. he was called the second 'messiah' of kisans. On 17 October 1986 he formed a non-political organization named 'Bhartiya Kisan Union' to protect the interests of all the farmers of India who form an overwhelming majority in the population of the country. He has headed many movements and as a result of these agitations, many times he was arrested and sent to jail, yet he remains committed to protect the interest of all the kisans of India. but todays he is going down due to unevenness of some of his family members

[edit] Remarks against Mayawati

Tikait was arrested and later released on bail on April 2, 2008 for allegedly making derogatory and caste based remarks against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati at a rally in Bijnore on March 30, 2008 ^[1]. Almost 6000 men from the security forces had surrounded Tikait in his village since April 1. The entire row sparked off after Tikait had referred to Mayawti by her caste.