The umbrella body of farmers’ union, Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has call upon a complete Bharat bandh from 6 am to 6 pm today. All rail, road transport will remain suspended during these twelve hour. All public or market places will also remain close . However, activities may not be fully restricted in the states where elections are going to be held.
This Bharat Bandh is being observed in the wake of farmers’ massive protest against the Centre’s three farm laws passed in September last year. The farmers have been protesting against these laws for four months now across the three Delhi borders –Ghazipur, Tikri and Singhu.
The three farm laws that were passed in September last year include Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act and Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act.
Here are some highlights from bandh:
• Protesters have blocked the Ghazipur border (Delhi-UP border) in view of 12-hour shutdown. Protesters have also blocked Ambala’s GT Road and railway track near Shahpur.
• The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has supported the bandh, while the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) in Andhra Pradesh has expressed solidarity with the farmers’ union. In Andhra Pradesh, as the Bandh will be observed, the government institutions will open after 1pm and RTC buses will also begin operations in the afternoon. All emergency services will be operational as usual.
• Odisha school and mass education department has announced to close all schools in view of Bharat Bandh.
• CAIT’s national general secretary Praveen Khandelwal was quoted as saying by news agency PTI: “We are not going to participate in ‘Bharat Bandh’. Markets will remain open in Delhi and other parts of the country. The ongoing deadlock can be resolved only through dialogue process. There should be discussions on amendments in the farm laws that can make existing farming profitable. The statement issued by the SKM claimed that various farmers’ organisations, trade unions, student organizations, bar associations, political parties and representatives of state governments have supported the bandh call of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha.
• Farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar, who is also senior member of Samkyukta Kisan Morcha, said that the major impact of the ‘Bharat Bandh’ will be felt in Haryana and Punjab. Kohar said that farmers have appealed to trader associations to close their shops during the nationwide shutdown as the three new agri laws will also affect them indirectly. The farmer leader said that in poll-bound Tamil Nadu, Assam, West Bengal, Kerala and Puducherry, the Samkyukta Kisan Morcha has appealed to people to not observe ‘Bandh’ there.
• The complete shutdown has been kept optional for traders. General secretary of Mahanagar Vyapar Mandal, Ghaziabad, Ashok Chawla said no association will force anyone to close their shops or compel them to keep it open as traders are free to make their own decision.
