Farmers Movement Archive

Mixed response to Bharat Bandh, RTC buses stay off streets till 1pm

Vijayawada: The Bharat Bandh call by farmers’ groups on Tuesday against the three farm bills saw a limited response in Andhra Pradesh compared to neighbouring states like Telangana where political parties extensively supported the call. The state government closed some government offices while RTC bus services did not run till 1 pm in the afternoon. As a result, commuters could be seen stranded at bus stations, especially at Pandit Nehru Bus Station (PNBS) for hours. Colleges and universities which were already functioning in a limited capacity due to the pandemic remained shut for the day in accordance with the instructions from the government. Police sources said that there were no instances of stalling traffic or ‘rail rokos’ in the state. Traffic was affected on the Andhra Pradesh-Telangana border in Krishna district where several trucks were seen making beelines due to ‘road rokos’ on the Telangana side. Meanwhile, truckers struggled to find food and could be seen making beelines at one or two open dhabas. Speaking to the media, agriculture minister Kurasala Kanna Babu maintained a neutral stand and said that the government respects the sentiments of farmers’ associations and that the strike can be observed till 1 pm in a manner that people are not inconvenienced. However, both YSRC and TDP did support the farm bills in Parliament back in September. “Ours is a farmer-friendly government, we support the Bharat Bandh call. We urged the farmers’ association to cooperate with state authorities so that the Bandh is done peacefully,” the minister said. Protests in the state were largely led by CPI(M) and Congress. In Vijayawada, Congress supporters wore tricolour ‘kanuvas’ (towels) and staged a demonstration near PNBS. Left party activists were seen holding protests by forming human chains at various important junctions like Lenin Centre and Besant Road. In Visakhapatnam, auto-rickshaw unions, labour unions, student groups and women associations took part in demonstrations. The Bharat Bandh call elicited a response in tribal areas of north Andhra Pradesh too where hundreds took part in protests. Bandh was observed in Maddilapalem, Kancharapalem, Gopalapatnam, Pendurthi, Madhurawada, Gajuwaka and the industrial area of Malkapuram. The Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) Civilian Employees Union reiterated its solidarity with struggling farmers. "Our union supported the demands of the farmers in front of NSTL Family Gate," informed VSN Murthy, president of the union.

The Times of India

2020-12-09

Vijayawada