Articulate Tevatia is now most wanted ‘criminal’ for UP Police

Before he emerged as the farmers’ leader during the Tappal agitation,the protesting farmers were being led by Ram Babu Kathelia,who had been demanding a compensation of Rs 870 per square metre rather than Rs 425 per square metre compensation being paid to them.

After Kathelia was arrested on August 14,2010 the protest turned violent leaving three farmers and a PAC personned dead. And soon,the state government released Kathelia and invited him for negotiations. While negotiating with the government,Kathelia urged the farmers to accept the new compensation offer at Rs 570 per square metre. This did not go down well with the farmers and they refused to accept kathelia’s leadership.

“At that point,we were looking for a person,who knows about our problems and could negotiate well on our behalf. At that point,Tevatia,who was little known to a majority of the farmers gave a speech at one of the meetings. We then knew him as a Jat,who used to raise some farmers issues in Noida and Greater Noida and only few knew him in Tappal,” said a farmer,who has not yet signed the acquisition agreement with the state government.

After the government scrapped the township scheme at Tappal,Tevatia continued to organise protests in which he used to make it clear that farmers were not against the township project but were demanding higher compensation.

“Whenever he called for us,large number of farmers were ready to follow him,” said a farmer.

Tevatia continued with the agitation,even when state government announced new relief and rehabilitation policy in 2010 and later revived the township project last winter.

Before launching his agitation at Bhatta-Parsaul in January,Tevatia told The Indian Express,“We are restrained from holding dharnas in Tappal,so we plan to camp at Bhatta-Parsaul. Our main demand is that the same compensation rate should prevail along the entire Yamuna Expressway — from Greater Nodia to Agra.”

His wife,Nutan Tevatia,who has done her Masters and BEd from Meerut University,is angry that the BSP government has announced a reward for his arrest. ‘The state government has announced a reward on him,as if he is some terrorist. The fact is that he was was chosen by the farmers to raise their issues,” Nutan told The Indian Express.

“For past four months,he has been camping at Bhatta Parsaul to raise the issues of the farmers,and I am taking care of our three children,” she added.