Rakesh Tikait is a farmer’s leader, politician, and the national spokesperson of Bharatiya Kisna Union (BKU). He is a son of late Mahendra Singh Tikait, one of the most influential farmer’s leaders in the history of independent India. In 2020, Rakesh Tikait came to the limelight after he participated in the farmer’s agitation against the three farms laws that were passed by the Parliament of India in September 2020.
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Wiki/Biography
| Real Name | Rakesh Tikait |
| Nick Name | Rakesh |
| Profession | Farmers’ Leader & Politician |
| Famous for | Farmers’ Leader |
| Date of Birth | 04-Jun-69 |
| Age(as in 2020) | 51 years |
| Birth Place | Sisauli village, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Home Town | Sisauli village, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh |
| School | D.A.V. Inter College High School, Sisauli village, Muzaffarnagar |
| College/University | Meerut University (1993) |
| Educational Qualification | Bachelor of Arts |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Address | Sisauli village, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh |
| Height | 177 cm |
| Weight | 80kg |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Salt and Pepper |
| Hobbies | Not Known |
| Smokes? | Not Known |
| Drinks Alcohol? | Not Known |
Birth & Early Life
Rakesh Tikait was born on Wednesday, 4 June 1969 in Sisauli village, located in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh. His zodiac sign is Gemini. He went to D.A.V. Inter College, Sisauli, Muzaffarnagar and then completed high school from Kisan Inter College Lalu Kheri, Muzaffarnagar in 1986. He did secondary schooling from Board of High School and Intermediate Education Uttar Pradesh in 1988. Thereafter, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Meerut University in 1993.
Career
Rakesh Tikait has worked as a constable in the Delhi Police for a brief period. He resigned from the Delhi Police’s job during the 1992-93 farmer’s protest, which was led by his father, Mahendra Singh Tikait, to join the then ongoing movement.
Rakesh Tikait has fought in two different elections. The first was in 2007 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election when Rakesh contested from Muzaffarnagar’s Khatauli assembly seat as an independent candidate. He could only garner 9,095 votes in that election.
On 14 March 2014, Rakesh Tikait joined the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), a political party founded by Chaudhary Charan Singh’s son, Ajit Singh. His decision to join RLD came as a surprise to people, as he had previously been critical of RLD and had supported the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha Election, RLD fielded Rakesh Tikait as its candidate from the Amroha Lok Sabha constituency. Rakesh had to face a defeat again, receiving 9,539 votes that were only 0.62% per cent of the total votes polled.
Farmer Leadership
Rakesh Tikait was elected as the national spokesperson of Bharatiya Kisan Union in 1997. Since then, he has been fighting for the rights of farmers.
Bajra protest
Reportedly, Rakesh Tikait once demanded the Rajasthan government to increase the price of millet procurement from the farmers. Later, he demonstrated a protest against the government after it refused to accept the demand. Consequently, the Rajasthan government increased the price of millet for farmers. Rakesh was also arrested and sent to Jaipur jail amid the protest.
Indian Farmer’s Protest
In September 2020, the Government of India passed three farm bills in the Indian parliament. Soon after the acts were introduced, many farmer unions, including the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), held protests against the laws and subsequently demanded to repeal them. Rakesh Tikait became a prominent face of the movement.
Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) is also a part of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, a joint farmer’s front comprising over 40 Indian farmer’s unions formed in November 2020. He was one of the farmer’s leaders who participated in 12 round of talks with the government for resolving the dispute.
Favorite things of Rakesh Tikait
| Favorite Film | Not Known |
| Favorite TV Show | Not Known |
| Favorite Singer | Not Known |
| Favorite Sport | Not Known |
Marital Status and More
| Marital Status | Married |
| Marriage Date | – |
| Controversies | – |
| Salary (Approx.) | Not Known |
| Net Worth | Not Known |
Social Media Presence
| https://www.facebook.com/ChaudharyRakeshTikait | |
| https://twitter.com/RakeshTikaitBKU | |
| https://www.instagram.com/rakesh.tikait |
Personal Life
Rakesh Tikait is the younger son of the renowned farmer leader Mahendra Singh Tikait, who spent his entire life fighting for the interest of farmers. Mahendra was revered by the farmers as their second messiah after the fifth Prime Minister of India, Chaudhary Charan Singh.
Rakesh Tikait is married to Sunita Devi. The couple has one son, Gaurav Tikait, and two daughters, Seema and Jyoti. All three children of Rakesh Tikait are married. Gaurav Tikait is the national youth president of BKU.
