More than 500 farmer organizations, 15 trade unions, political parties, six state governments, and many parts of society supported the dawn-to-dusk Bharat Bandh in protest against the three Agri-laws.
Thousands of farmers from Uttar Pradesh and neighboring states assembled in Muzaffarnagar on September 5 for an SKM-organized’ Kisan mahapanchayat,’ and unanimously called for a total Bharat Bandh on September 27.
On Monday, the proposed Bharat Bandh by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body covering 40 farmer unions, celebrates the first anniversary of the three controversial farm laws receiving Presidential funding assent has received widespread support from all areas of society, including political parties.
Many Opposition parties have declared support for the bandh, including Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav, who has indicated that he will take part in the state-wide strike.
The governments of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have also expressed their full support for the state-wide strike, and Congress has also stated that it will participate in Monday’s protests.
Timings
All government and private offices, educational and other institutions, shops, industries, and commercial businesses, as well as public events and functions, will be closed throughout the country from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the bandh.
Hospitals, medical stores, relief, and rescue activities, and anyone attending emergencies will be under the exemption. The SKM has stated that it will enforce the bandh voluntarily and peacefully.
The State Government Extends Support to Farmers
Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Punjab, Jharkhand, and Andhra Pradesh state governments have expressed their support for the Bharat Bandh protest.
Andhra Pradesh
According to state Information and Transport Minister Perni Venkataramaiah (Nani), the Andhra Pradesh government proclaimed its support for the Bharat Bandh on September 27 and workers at the Visakhapatnam steel mill.
The state administration has decided to suspend APSRTC buses across the state from September 26 midnight to September 27 afternoon, Nani informed reporters.
Tamil Nadu
The ruling DMK has asked people, farmers, farmworkers, and traders to participate in the intended state-wide strike by farmer unions on September 27 and its functionaries to ensure that the “Bharat Bandh” is a success in Tamil Nadu.
The DMK’s state agriculture wing chairman NKK Periyasamy said the party supports farmers protesting farm regulations in Delhi and other cities.
He also adds that the Centre is authoritarian and never listens to them. He urged Tamil Nadu farmers, farm workers, the general public, traders, and all socioeconomic groups to join the bandh and make it a complete success.
Kerala
Kerala’s ruling LDF has called for a state-wide hartal on September 27 to support the farmers. After a meeting of the leaders of the ruling party alliance in Thiruvananthapuram, LDF convenor and CPI(M) acting secretary A Vijayaraghavan made the announcement.
Vijayaraghavan told the media that five lakh people would take part in the demonstration.
Over 100 organizations, he claimed, have lent their support to the LDF movement, including motor transport workers, bank employees, and farmers’ organizations.
Political Parties Extending Support
So far, left-wing parties such as the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Communist Party of India, the All India Forward Bloc, the Revolutionary Socialist Party, and others such as the Indian National Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, Telugu Desam Party, Janata Dal (Secular), Bahujan Samaj Party, Nationalist Congress Party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, SAD-Sanyukt, Yuva.
The Indian National Congress
The Congress will participate in the Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s “Bharat Bandh” on September 27 to commemorate the first anniversary of Parliament’s passage of three controversial agriculture policies, the party declared on Saturday.
In the last seven years, the Narendra Modi government has methodically attacked the agriculture industry, according to Gourav Vallabh, the party’s spokesperson.
The Modi government introduced the Land Acquisition Ordinance in 2014 to seize farm properties in the name of critical sectors, but he claimed the government had to scrap the measure.
Rashtriya Janata Dal
Tejashwi Yadav, the former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister, and RJD leader have also expressed his support for the farmers’ appeal for a Bharat Bandh.
Tejashwi Yadav said in a tweet that the top leaders of the grand alliance parties met at his residence and unanimously resolved to participate in and support the Bharat Bandh on September 27 “in protest against the NDA government’s anti-farmer policies.” He stated, “We are firm with the farmers.”
Long-Term Conflict
Since November, farmers from across the country, particularly Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh, have protested at Delhi’s borders. Calling for the repeal of three contentious farm laws that they fear will eliminate the minimum support price system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporations.
To break the deadlock and end the farmers’ protest, the government and farmer unions have undertaken 11 rounds of discussions, the most recent on January 22.
Following extensive violence at a tractor rally by protesting farmers on January 26, talks have yet to restart.
Parliament passed the Farmers‘ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020 in September last year.
The three bills are expected to represent major agricultural reforms, according to the Centre.
