Farmers Movement Archive

Stir to intensify as farm groups come together

Farmers’ protests in the northern Indian food bowl regions of western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab are expected to intensify on Friday, when farmers groups and opposition political parties organise a national strike, Bharat Bandh, against three farm bills passed by Parliament.All farmers groups in the region have come together to take part in the protests against the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 , passed by Parliament during the curtailed monsoon session that ended on Wednesday.A three-day rail blockade is being organised in Punjab that will continue until Saturday to protest against the bills that the government says will liberalise agricultural trade and farmers allege will promote corporate interests over their own.Railway authorities said 20 trains passing through Punjab will remain suspended between Thursday and Saturday because of the protest, as the state-owned transporter seeks to ensure the safety of passengers and protect its property. Many freight and parcel trains too have been rescheduled “Punjab rail agitation will severely impact loading of foodgrains and other essential goods. It will hurt ordinary citizens and fast-recovering rail freight and economy,” a railway ministry spokesperson said.In Punjab, where the protests against the bills started more than a month ago, at least 31 farmers bodies have come together and drawn up a joint protest plan.“We have informed all market associations that they should close the shops tomorrow,” said Jagmohan Singh Patiala, an office-bearer of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee, an umbrella organisation of farmers groups.Farmers bodies have divided Punjab into different zones where the activists will stage day-long sit-in protests and prevent any movement of traffic, said another farmers leader. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), a partner of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre, has also decided to organize parallel protests as part of a “chakka jam” (road blockage) campaign. SAD spokesperson Dalit Cheema said the party cadre would be out on the roads in full strength. The Congress and Aam Aadmi Party will also join the protests. In Haryana, major farmers organisations have joined hands to stage protests and announced that road and railway traffic will not be allowed on Friday. They have issued a call for the closure of all markets, including agricultural produce mandis, from 10 a.m. to 4 pm. Haryana president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait faction) Ratan Mann said: “The farmers and commission agents will be on roads against the bills on Friday”. He added that shopkeepers, trade unions and employee unions have been asked to join the protests.This will be the third such protest in the state in the past two weeks; the first, held in Pipli of Kurukshetra, on September 10 resulted in a clash between police and protesters.“We will ensure that the protests remain peaceful and movement of traffic on the important roads like NH 44 will not get affected,” said Karnal deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav. He said farmers would be prevented from coming onto the national highway.Farmers in Haryana on Thursday organised a march in villages to create awareness about Bharat Bandh and a week-long campaign their organisations have planned.Farmers’ leader Naresh Tikait said cultivators in western UP on Friday would “aggressively” participate in the Bharat Bandh and will block the movement of traffic in their strongholds. UP police have deployed additional security personnel in the western part of the state to maintain law and order, officials said. BS Rajewal, president of another faction of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, said 185 farmers organisations including those from Rajasthan, Himachal, Telangana, Maharasthra, Madhaya Pradesh and Andhra Pradeseh have agreed to join the protests. Farmers organisations, backed by the Left parties and the Congress, have called for protests across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on Friday. In Telangana, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi is supporting the protests.In neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, the ruling YSR Congress Party and opposition Telugu Desam Party have both supported the farm bills.Sarampalli Malla Reddy, vice-president of All India Kisan Sabha and president of the Telangana Rythu Sangham, said the farmers’ associations would block the national highways on Friday. “We shall fight against the implementation of the draconian acts,” Telangana agriculture minister S Niranjan Reddy said.In Maharashtra, many farmers’ organisations have decided to participate in Bharat Bandh. Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghathana, a farmers outfit in Maharashtra, has decided to participate in the protest against agricultural bills but in a different way. its chief Raju Shetti said.“The people are fed up with the lockdown which lasted for months; thus we have decided not to go for a bandh. Instead we will be burning copies of the bills outside tehsildar offices across the state in protest. It will be a day-long agitation,” Shetti said.(With inputs from state bureaus)

Hindustan Times

25-09-2020

India