Photo Source : Mint
Samkyukta Kisan Morcha commenced “Bharat band” (meaning: Closed India) today i.e. 27th of Sep’21. The rally is intended to protest against the 3 farm laws and today was selected as this particular day marks the 10 months of farmer protest.
Several farming communities from all over the country have protested at the border points of Delhi since November 2020, notably in western Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana. In September 2020, the Parliament passed three farm laws – The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers’ Empowerment and Protection Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. Farmers are protesting to persuade the government to remove these laws.
Bharat Bandh, called by the farmers’ organisations against three farm laws, has adversely affected traffic movement in and out of Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh. Furthermore, Pandit Shree Ram Sharma metro station’s entry and exit gates have been closed by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).
The National Highway 1 linking Delhi with parts of Punjab and Haryana and the Delhi-Amritsar National Highway were blocked by farmers, farm labourers, commission agents, political activists and union activists.
During this Bandh, the shutdown will begin at 6 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. It is likely that markets will remain closed, as well as transportation services.
“This would include all government and private offices, all educational and other institutions, all shops, industries and commercial establishments, all public events and functions. Public and private transport will also come to a halt during this period,” said Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM).
Emergency services and essential establishments such as hospitals, pharmacy shops, relief and rescue vehicles, and ambulances will be exempt from the protest, according to SKIM and Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU).
As a response to the ‘Bharat Bandh’ call by farmers unions to protest the three farm laws, the Delhi Police have increased patrols and deployed extra personnel to the border areas. The National Capital Authority inspects every vehicle entering the city.
According to the Bhartiya Udyog Vyapaar Mandal, traders and industry will not observe this “senseless and anti-development” Bharat Bandh. Bhartiya Udyog Vyapaar Mandal National President Ravi Kant Garg said that more than 20 crore traders, industrialists, small industrialists of the MSME sector, shopkeepers, and vendors on the road were not in favor of this bandh. “The bandh call by a handful of so-called farmers has been virtually sponsored by the opposition parties from the back door for their political gain and is anti-development and senseless besides being against the interest of traders,” Garg added.
SKM’s “dream of Bharat Bandh” will not happen, and their misunderstanding shall be cleared, says BJP Kisan Morcha. SKM is doing this because of upcoming Assembly elections in several states, said the BJP’s farmer wing.
“The farmer of the country is with BJP, is with PM Modi ji and wants to see India moving forward. It does not want Bharat Bandh. Who are these desperate and hopeless farmer representatives, along with the leaders of the opposition party who are busy opposing the BJP ideologically? Their intention is to create political disturbances within the country,” said Rajkumar Chahar, President of BJP Kisan Morcha.
Rest of the parties have expressed their support for the rally.
There are four farmers’ organizations in Karnataka protesting against the new farm laws, including State Farmers’ Association, Hasiru Sene, Pranta Raita Sangha, and Sugar Cane Growers Association which are observing the Bandh today. As part of the protest, they called for blocking travel on the nation’s highways and critical junctions in Karnataka.
According to the state government of Karnataka, the organizers will be held responsible in case of damage to public property, such as state buses and public property. Businessmen, store owners, hotel managers, and college and school administrators are not participating in the bandh. Similarly, operators of private bus services in the state have decided to keep their services running.
