Farmers Movement Archive

Bandh hits road, rail traffic in many States

Farmers blocked highways and rail lines, shut down markets and institutions in some cities and States and held mass rallies across the country in response to the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM)’s nationwide strike call on Monday, exactly a year after the President gave his assent to the three contentious agricultural reform laws. The SKM is a platform of farm unions which joined hands to protest against the laws, whose members, in thousands, marched to the borders of Delhi 10 months ago to demand that the three laws be repealed. Their call for a Bharat Bandh between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Monday was supported by major parties including the Congress, Left parties, Akali Dal, YSR Congress Party, Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Trade unions and transport unions backed the bandh in some parts of the country, though some declined to shut down business even while offering “moral support” to the farmers. The SKM termed the response ‘unprecedented’ around midday. Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait declared the bandh ‘successful’, telling an online students’ parliament that it proved the farmers had support from labourers and youth, and the agitation was active across the country, not just in a few States. “Farmers are on the streets for 10 months, but the blind and deaf government neither sees nor hears anything. In a democracy, there is no other option but to protest. We insist that if there is Bill wapsi [repeal of the laws], then only there will be ghar wapsi [return home],” he said. Vehicular movement was disrupted on national and State highways in most parts of Punjab and Haryana. Shops and commercial establishments were closed in many parts of the two States which make up the largest mass of the protesting unions, though the situation was normal in their joint capital Chandigarh. 25 trains affected Train tracks were blocked at more than 20 places in the northern zone, with the Railways saying at least 25 trains were affected in the morning. There were also reports of train tracks being blocked at some locations in Bihar and West Bengal. In the national capital, there were massive traffic snarls at Gurugram and Ghazipur as Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh saw increased security due to the farmers’ protests. The Delhi police instituted intensive checks of vehicles entering the city.

The Hindu

2021-09-28

NEW DELHI