Bharat Bandh: Delhi-UP Border Rife With “This Is Our Fight For Freedom” Slogans

On Tuesday, 8^th of December 2020, the whole nation is experiencing a shutdown from 11 AM to 3 PM. A Bharat Bandh has been called by the farmers protesting against the Centre’s new farm laws. The Indian Farmer unions have stated that today’s shutdown is a ‘peaceful protest’. They also said that the different emergency services like ambulances, etc. will not be stopped. Numerous trader unions, transport unions and lawyer unions along with other groups have shown their support to the Bharat Bandh. Among the supporters, the Railways’ two biggest unions, AIRF and NFIR are two of them.

The farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said, “Our bandh is different from that of political parties. It is a four-hour symbolic bandh for an ideological cause. We want that there should be no problem for the common people. We appeal to them not to travel during this period. We also urge shopkeepers to shut their outlets during this period.”

Recent Updates From The Bharat Bandh

1. In Sitapur, the UP police directed a road march and security was placed outside of the Samajwadi Party office. Similarly, in Lucknow also, the cops were placed outside of the Charbagh railway station.
2. In Ramanagara, the protesters block Bengaluru-Mysuru highway at Ijur circle. As a result, traffic on both directions disrupted on the highway.
3. A huge protest march was taken from Town Hall to Freedom Park and the traffic has been affected in vital parts of the city including KR Market, Hudson circle, Goodshed road and KR circle.
4. The road on Jind-Kaithal highway, near village Nagura of Jind district in Haryana, has been blocked by the farmers.
5. In support of the Bharat Bandh, the Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs) remained closed in many parts of Maharashtra.
6. The social activist, Anna Hazare, sat on a day-long hunger strike to support the agitated farmers on Tuesday.
7. The General Secretary of the All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC) Soumya Datta said that the union has expressed its solidarity with farmers but will not be participating in the Bharat Bandh.
8. Odisha’s ruling BJD maintained silence on the Bharat Bandh and has chosen to resolve the farmers’ subjects through dialogue.
9. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is under house arrest, claims AAP.
10. The security at the Delhi-Haryana’s Singhu Border was groused up with the deployment of extra forces of the Delhi Police, Rapid Action Force (RAF) and other security agencies.

Well, during the bandh, banking services will remain unaffected. The All India Transporters Welfare Association (AITWA) are also not supporting the Bharat Bandh. The farmers’ unions have announced that wedding functions will face no problems during Bharat Bandh.

The Centre has allotted an advisory directing all the states and Union Territories to tighten security to safeguard and ensure that COVID-19 guidelines are being followed.

Let’s Quickly See Why Farmers are Protesting

• Punjab and Haryana Farmers Union say the current laws passed at the Centre will pull apart the minimum support price (MSP) system.
• The big corporate houses will dictate their terms and farmers will end up their crops. Farmers will be into getting fewer advantages.
• With the virtual dissolution of the mandi system, they will not get a certain price for their crops and the “arthiyas”.
• The key demand of the farmers is the withdrawal of the three laws which deregulate the sale of their crops.
• They are also pressing for the withdrawal of the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020, fearing it will lead to an end to subsidised electricity.

On the other hand, Government says the three farm laws have been projected will act as major improvements in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country.