Promising support to the agitating farmers on the borders of the national capital, Kerala observed a near-total shutdown on September 27.
All political parties and trade unions of Kerala supported the Bharat Bandh, except for the BJP. The BJP government had implemented the contentious farm bill at the Centre.
The shutdown was peaceful and almost complete in the state.
The SKM called the Bharat Bandh
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella organization of more than 40 farmer unions, had announced the Bandh to strengthen and expand the farmers’ agitation, which began in November last year.
The protesting farmers want the Union government to repeal the three farm laws enacted in the previous year- the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill and the Essential Commodities Amendment Bill.
They accuse the government of not consulting them and helping the country’s big corporations by doing away with the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system.
The farmers’ demands also include a legal guarantee for MSP, reduction of petrol, diesel and gas prices, withdrawal of all police cases against the protesting farmers, etc.
Complete with major untoward incidents in Kerala
The dawn-to-dusk hartal saw Kerala’s trade unions and the political parties conducting marches to various district headquarters and central government offices.
Both the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the opposition Union Democratic Front (UDF) pledged their allegiance to the causes of the farmers.
They asked their supporters to make the protest successful in the state.
The state had excluded essential services like diary, newspapers and ambulances from the shutdown, and offices and educational institutions did not function yesterday.
The government secretariat and state government offices witnessed meagre attendance. Even though private vehicles were allowed, the government suspended KSRTC bus services, except for emergencies until 6 pm.
The Bandh did not disrupt the examinations since the education department had rescheduled exams because of the shutdown.
As the airways and railways did not observe the hartal, the passengers arriving suffered the brunt of the absence of public services.
Media outlets reported that police and other supporting organizations had arranged alternate arrangements for their transportation to curb this situation.
The state did not witness any significant violence during the hartal except for three incidents in Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Kannur.
The Centre is not paying attention to the country’s farmers- LDF Convener.
The incumbent LDF’s convener and acting state secretary, A Vijayaraghavan, congratulated all people who made the Bandh successful in Kerala.
He observed that the people of Kerala stood united against the BJP government’s anti-farmer and anti-people policies.
The success of the hartal in Kerala and the whole country is a strict warning to the Union government.
He further asked the Centre to repeal the farm laws by taking the public sentiment into account.
The people of Kerala observed the shutdown irrespective of their political affiliations.
“The country has never witnessed such a mute and irresponsible government,” he said.
He concluded that the BJP government would have to listen to the country.
R Chandrasekharan, the state president of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), echoed similar sentiments as he said that the protest would continue until the farmers achieve victory.
The Kerala unit of BJP had earlier dismissed the Bharat Bandh as “anti-people”.
