Srinagar, Sep 27: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Monday said its call for a Bharat Bandh received “unprecedented and historic” response from more than 23 states and not a single untoward incident was reported from anywhere.
“Reports have been pouring in about the overwhelmingly positive and resounding response to the Bharat Bandh call to mark 10 months of peaceful protests with rightful demands from the ‘annadaatas’ of the country. Spontaneous participation from various sections of the society was witnessed at most places,” it said in a statement.
Even though the bandh call evoked little or no response in Jammu & Kashmir, members of CPI-M and its farmer wing – Kissan Tehreek – held marches in Srinagar and Jammu in solidarity with the farmers of the country.
The call for the bandh was supported by major opposition parties including the Congress, BSP, Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, Telugu Desam Party, Left parties and Swaraj India.
The SKM said the bandh was observed peacefully in “more than 23 states” and not a single untoward incident was reported. It also appreciated state governments and political parties that extended support to the bandh.
“Reports have come in from hundreds of locations from Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Pondicherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal about the bandh, and numerous events to accompany the same,” the statement said.
Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said Monday’s Bharat Bandh “a slap on the face of people” who said the protests were limited to three states. He said the movement will continue till the three agricultural laws are withdrawn and the government guarantees minimum support price (MSP).
“The Bharat Bandh called by Samyukta Kisan Morcha was a success. Farmers across the country expressed their anger by coming on the streets. More than thousands of farmers sat on the streets across the country. The bandh got the support of farmers as well as labour, traders, employees, trade unions. Political parties of the country also supported for the bandh,” Tikait said.
Rakesh Tikait also said, “UP’s Yogi Adityanath had promised in his manifesto that he would raise the value of sugarcane to Rs 375-Rs 450. However, he has increased it only by Rs 25. He should give an account of the losses faced. The government has failed completely. Crops are not being sold at MSP [minimum support price] rates.”
A section of the trade unions and civil society groups held a protest at Jantar Mantar in solidarity with the “Bharat Bandh” called by farmers against three agriculture laws of the Centre. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of over 40 farm unions spearheading the agitation against the tree contentious laws, had appealed to people on Thursday to join the bandh. Holding banners that read “Long Live Farmers Unity”, demanding a repeal of the three farm laws and equal opportunities for all, the protesters held a march at Jantar Mantar.
Normal life was hit as farmers blocked highways, roads and squatted on railway tracks at many places in Punjab and Haryana on Monday in view of a “Bharat Bandh” called by farm unions against three agriculture laws of the Centre. In Punjab, the ruling Congress said it firmly stands by the farm unions’ “Bharat Bandh” call against the three contentious laws. The shutdown was almost complete in the state, with transport services suspended during the bandh period, while shops and other commercial establishments remained shut at most places. National and state highways in several districts, including Amritsar, Rupnagar, Jalandhar, Pathankot, Sangrur, Mohali, Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Bathinda, were blocked by the protesters. In neighbouring Haryana, the protesters blocked highways in Sirsa, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Hisar, Charkhi Dadri, Karnal, Kaithal, Rohtak, Jhajjar and Panchkula districts. The protesting farmers squatted on railway tracks at many places in the two states. Ferozepur’s Divisional Railway Manager Seema Sharma told PTI that some passenger trains have been cancelled while some other services have been rescheduled.
Protests in Kerala
Protesters of several trade unions including Indian National Trade Union Congress, Centre of Indian Trade Unions and All India Trade Union Congress form a human chain in Kochi to support the call for Bharat Bandh today against the three farm laws
No impact in Mumbai; shops, transport operating as usual
Commercial establishments and local transport were operating as usual in Mumbai on Monday and the city police also did not deploy an extra security force at key junctions and roads in the wake of the Bharat Bandh called by farmer unions against the Centre’s three agri laws, officials said.
Congress workers, holding placards, assembled at some places like Andheri and Jogeshwari and shouted slogans against the farm bills, but other than that there was no impact of the bandh in the city so far.
According to a police official, no additional security force was deployed in the city as of now, but a decision on deployment of extra police personnel may be taken later depending on the situation and programmes of political parties.
“Till now, no extra force has been been deployed, but it may be placed as per local requirement,” he said.
25 trains affected due to Bharat Bandh
About 25 trains have been affected due to the Bharat Bandh called by farm unions on Monday to protest the Centre’s three agri laws, officials said.
“More than 20 locations are being blocked in Delhi, Ambala, and Firozepur divisions. About 25 trains are affected due to this,” a spokesperson for the Northern Railway said.
Officials said the Delhi-Amritsar Shan-e-Punjab, New Delhi-Moga Express, Old Delhi-Pathankot Express, Vande Bharat Express from New Delhi to Katra, and Amritsar Shatabdi are some of the trains that have been affected.
