Farmer groups can block roads and occupy toll plazas.
The “Bharat bandh”, a nationwide shutdown requested by farmers protesting against farm laws, will run from 11 a.m. M. At 3 p. M. affected. Police in Delhi and Haryana, where large numbers of farmers have set up camp amid police barricades, have issued warnings to divert traffic where possible or warn travelers of delays. Farmer groups are also expected to block roads and occupy toll plazas, but have stressed that this will be a “peaceful protest” and that emergency services, such as ambulances, will not be detained or delayed.
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The banking unions have said that they stand in solidarity with the farmers but will not participate in the bandh. However, they will wear black badges while on duty and will hold protests before or after business hours. However, almost all commercial transport and trucking unions will participate, which means that the supply of dairy products, fruits and vegetables will suffer.
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Police in Delhi and Haryana have issued separate travel and traffic advisories for people seeking to enter or exit the national capital region, which is likely to be the hardest hit by bandh after farmers camped out at crossings along the along the borders of the UP and Haryana warning that they would cut the road. access to the city. Traffic will be interrupted on National Highways 9, 19, 24, 44 and 48, whether sections or all of these highways are closed.
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Within Delhi, dairy products, fruits and vegetables will likely be in short supply. Mandis (wholesale markets) in Ghazipur, Okhla and Narela could be affected, said Adil Ahmed Khan, president of Azadpur Mandi, Asia’s largest wholesale market. Travelers could face problems too, as some taxi unions, including those with app-based aggregators, have backed the bandh. Delhi Metro services will continue for now.
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Punjab, run by Congress, whose farmers have led the protests, will likely see a complete shutdown. Almost all the unions have been supportive. The ruling party and opposition MLAs, both Akali Dal and AAP, will organize sit-ins in their constituencies. In Chandigarh, some market associations have supported the bandh, which means that markets and shops could close. Local police have also issued traffic and travel advisories.
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In Mumbai, as in Delhi, the supply of fruits and vegetables will suffer. This is because the Vashi mandi is closed. Taxis, cars, and buses will work, but commercial trucks will stay off the roads. Retail merchant associations have not endorsed bandh, but individual stores may choose to do so, they said. Hotels and restaurants are also expected to remain open. Mumbai police will increase patrols to ensure that no “adverse incidents” occur.
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Tamil Nadu (ruled by AIADMK, an ally of the BJP) does not support the bandh. The merchants federation has not made a commitment despite the opposition’s call, so it is unlikely that shops and the supply of fruits and vegetables will be affected. Transport unions affiliated with the left may be off the streets, but this is unlikely to have a major impact. However, Telangana has backed the bandh, and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao called on TRS workers to “actively participate.”
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The impact of the bandh in BJP-ruled states is expected to be less severe, although rural areas of Haryana, from where thousands of farmers have joined the protest, could be affected. Similarly, mandis are expected to be open in Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, where Congress is likely to stage protests. UP, which does not support the bandh, will keep the offices open. Karnataka is also planning a normal day, but the farmers have scheduled protests, so traffic may be disrupted.
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None of the northeastern states have issued warnings at this time and, apart from Congress, few political parties have endorsed the bandh. There may be some impact in Assam or Tripura, where Congress is more influential and, with left-wing parties, can organize protests and sit-ins leading to a partial disruption.
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The ruling BJP launched a counterattack against the opposition (and the bandh) on Monday, accusing them of engineering the protests for political gain. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that Congress, when in power, was in favor of privatizing the agricultural sector, but now opposed the measure to score points with farmers, who represent a group of voters. enormously powerful.
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Thousands of farmers camped around Delhi, and thousands more across the country, have been protesting since September, demanding the immediate withdrawal of farm laws. The center has resisted rolling back what it says are “historic reforms” and has instead said it will amend the most problematic sections. Farmers, however, insist that the laws must disappear. Five rounds of talks have not made a breakthrough. A sixth has been scheduled for Wednesday.
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