Bharat Bandh: Farmers protest at Ghazipur border.
Traffic jams began easing at the Delhi border on Monday after farmer organisations began relaxing a "Bharat Bandh" called as part of their long protest seeking withdrawal of three farm laws that they allege will hurt them and help private firms.
Here are 10 points on farmers' Bharat Bandh today:
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of over 40 farm unions, had organised the 6 am-4 pm protest today. The group had said they will not allow movement on some sections of national highways. This morning, Delhi-Meerut Expressway was blocked near the Ghazipur protest site, affecting the traffic coming from Uttar Pradesh. Huge traffic jams were seen at Delhi's borders with Gurgaon and Noida as vehicles entering the national capital were checked by Delhi Police and paramilitary jawans.
Government and private offices, educational and other institutions, shops, industries and commercial establishments will be closed across the country, the SKM said. However, demonstrators have insisted that emergency services won't be affected. Autorickshaws and taxis are operating normally in Delhi and shops were open today, with their unions and associations extending only "in-principle support" to the strike.
The Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana was blocked too. The Haryana Police on Sunday asked people to be prepared to face traffic congestion. "It is expected the agitating groups may sit on dharna on roads and highways and block them for some time. The national and state highways in Haryana may see some traffic disruptions for several hours," a state police spokesperson said on Sunday.
In Punjab, state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu asked party workers to support the protest by farmers. "Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee firmly stands by farmer unions' demand for Bharat Bandh on September 27, 2021. In the war of right and wrong, you cannot afford to be neutral. We urge every Congress worker to fight with all their might against the three unconstitutional black laws," Mr Sidhu tweeted.
In Uttar Pradesh, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati said he party will support a peaceful "Bharat Bandh". "The farmers of the country do not endorse the three farm laws brought in a hurry by the centre, and are sad about it. They have been protesting for the past 10 months in the country and aggressively, especially around Delhi," Mayawati said.
The Congress had asked all its workers, state unit chiefs and heads of frontal organisations to take part in the Bharat Bandh. Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said party workers will extend "full support to the peaceful Bharat Bandh". "We believe in the right of our farmers and we will stand by them in their fight against the black farm laws," he tweeted.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Sunday said farmers are ready to protest for 10 years, but will not allow the "black" legislations to be implemented. "The Agirculture Minister is asking us to come for talks. We want to ask him to tell us the time and place. He simply says it for the sake of it. We will not leave even if it takes 10 years," Mr Tikait told NDTV this morning.
The Delhi Police has intensified patrolling and deployed extra personnel at pickets in border areas of the national capital. A senior police officer said adequate security arrangements will be made to maintain law and order in the national capital. No protester will be allowed to enter Delhi from the three protest sites at the city's borders, the officer said.
Farmers from different parts of the country, especially Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting along the state border in Delhi since November last year, demanding repeal of the three farm laws that they fear would do away with Minimum Support Price eventually, leaving them at the mercy of big firms.
The centre has denied the allegations and offered to amend the laws after wide discussions with farmers. The centre says the farm laws are in fact beneficial for farmers as some of the provisions cut out middlemen, who exploit farmers. But the farmers have stuck to nothing less than complete withdrawal of the three laws.
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