Bharat Bandh: Farmers protest at Ghazipur border.
New Delhi:
Farmer organizations have called for a “Bharat Bandh” today as part of their long protest demanding the withdrawal of three agriculture laws, alleging that private firms would get the power to take over the agriculture sector.
The 10 points of farmers’ Bharat bandh today are as follows:
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Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of over 40 agricultural unions, is leading the protest from 6 am to 4 pm today. The group has said that they will not allow movement on certain stretches of national highways. This morning, the Delhi-Meerut Expressway was blocked near the Ghazipur picket site, affecting the traffic coming from Uttar Pradesh.
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The SKM said that government and private offices, educational and other institutions, shops, industries and commercial establishments will remain closed across the country. However, the protesters insisted that the protest would be peaceful.
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Farmers have also blocked the Shambhu border near Haryana. The state police on Sunday asked people to be prepared to face traffic jams. A spokesman of the state police said on Sunday, “It is expected that the agitating groups can sit on dharna on roads and highways and stop them for some time. Traffic may be disrupted for several hours on national and state highways in Haryana. ”
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In Punjab, state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu asked party workers to support the farmers’ protest. “Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee stands firmly with the farmers’ unions’ demand for Bharat Bandh on 27th September, 2021. In the war of right and wrong, you cannot remain neutral. We ask every Congress worker to fight with all our might against all three. Urge to fight. Unconstitutional black law,” Mr Sidhu tweeted.
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In Uttar Pradesh, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati said she would support a peaceful “Bharat Bandh”. Mayawati said, “The farmers of the country do not support the three agriculture laws brought in haste by the Center and are saddened by it. They have been protesting in the country more aggressively, especially around Delhi, for the last 10 months.”
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The Congress has asked all its workers, state unit chiefs and heads of major organizations to take part in the Bharat Bandh. Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal said the party workers would give “full support to a peaceful Bharat Bandh”. “We believe in the rights of our farmers and will stand by them in their fight against black agricultural laws,” he tweeted.
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Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Sunday said farmers are ready to protest for 10 years, but will not allow “black” laws to be implemented. “It has been 10 months since this movement. The government should hear with open ears that even if we have to agitate for 10 years, we are ready,” Tikait said at a Kisan Sabha in Panipat.
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Delhi Police has intensified patrolling at outposts in the border areas of the national capital and deployed additional personnel. A senior police officer said that adequate security arrangements would be made to maintain law and order in the national capital. The official said no protesters would be allowed to enter Delhi from the three protest sites on the city limits.
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Farmers from different parts of the country, especially Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at the state border in Delhi since November last year, demanding the repeal of three agricultural laws, which they fear That eventually the Minimum Support Price will come to an end. left them at the mercy of the big firms.
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The Center has denied the allegations and after extensive discussions with farmers has offered to amend the laws. The Center maintains that agricultural laws are actually beneficial to farmers as some of the provisions cut out middlemen, who exploit farmers. But farmers are nothing short of completely withdrawing the three laws.
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