New Delhi: Up to two dozen farmers ‘organizations, including Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), All India Farmers Union (AIFU), All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) and All India Kisan Mahasangh (AIKM), have come together for the’ Bharat Bandh ‘on Friday (September 25) to protest against the agricultural bills passed by Parliament amid massive protests from 18 political parties.
According to reports, 31 farmers’ organizations in Punjab and Haryana are already in protest and want to convey their concerns to the government on Friday via the so-called bandh.
Farmers unions have called on farmers to come out openly to oppose the bills, as the Bharatiya Kisan union has reportedly said that “on 25 September there will be a farmers curfew, blockade and even the purchase of products under the MSP is guaranteed in the law agitation I will carry on. ” BKU’s Rakesh Tikait has called on his members to come out in large numbers.
Farmers have also received support from 18 political parties, including the Congress which has governments in four states, TMC in West Bengal, Left in Kerala, AAP in Delhi, TRS in Telangana. However, Odisha’s ruling party, BJD, demanded that the bills be sent to a select committee.
On live Tv
In Chandigarh, the Punjab Youth Congress organized an “8 Vaje 8 Minute Mashal March” across the state on September 24 to support the so-called Punjab Farmers Bandh against the “anti-farmers” bill. “approved by the Modi government.
In a press release, the President of the Punjab Youth Congress (PYC), Brinder Singh Dhillon, said that the PYC extends its full support to farmer organizations organizing dharnas across the state against the bills.
Meanwhile, several trains were suspended Thursday when farmers began a three-day “rail roko” campaign against the recently approved Farm Bills. The Ferozepur railway division decided to suspend the operation of special trains until September 26 in view of the safety of the passengers, a railway official told IANS.
The trains that were suspended include the Golden Temple Mail (Amritsar-Mumbai Central), Jan Shatabdi Express (Haridwar-Amritsar), New Delhi-Jammu Tawi, Sachkhand Express (Nanded-Amritsar) and Shaheed Express (Amritsar-Jaynagar).
Activists from the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) held a protest sit-in on the train tracks in the cities of Barnala and Sangrur.
In particular, 31 farmer organizations in Punjab crossing party lines on Wednesday announced a joint statewide protest to be held on Friday. These organizations have called for a full “Punjab bandh” on September 25.
At the beginning of September 20, Rajya Sabha passed the Agricultural Products Trade and Trade (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill of 2020, and the Farmers’ Agreement (Empowerment and Protection) on Price Guarantee and Agricultural Services Law in between of protests by opposition parties.
Farmers could now take their produce anywhere, interstate or intrastate, beyond the agricultural produce market committees (APMC). State governments cannot impose any fees or charges on farmers, according to the bills.
However, the Center affirmed that these bills will help small and marginal farms by allowing them to sell products outside the mandis and sign agreements with agro-industrial companies; and remove stock storage limits on key raw materials.
Farmers unions have reportedly stated that the problem with the bills goes beyond the MSP and is about the phasing out of mandis. Farmers are much more vulnerable to exploitation outside the “mandi” system and are producers, not agribusinesses, unions have said.
.
