Farmers Movement Archive

Support widens for Bharat Bandh call

Top Opposition leaders, in a joint statement on Sunday, extended their support for the December 8 Bharat Bandh, called by farmers’ organisations demanding a rollback of the three farm sector laws, and claimed that the new laws would “destroy Indian agriculture by mortgaging it to corporates”. The joint statement was signed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, DMK president M.K. Stalin, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI general secretary D. Raja, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, among others. Leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha claimed that support for the bandh had poured in from transport unions, women’s and students’ organisations and federations of industry, apart from political parties. Separately, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti and the Shiv Sena too backed the call given by the farmers Asking the Centre to meet the “legitimate” demands of the kisan-annadatas , the Opposition statement said, ‘Withdraw laws’ “We the undersigned leaders of political parties extend our solidarity with the ongoing massive struggle by the Indian farmers organised by various kisan organisations from across the country and extend our support to their call for a Bharat Bandh on December 8 demanding the withdrawal of these retrograde Agri-laws and the Electricity Amendment Bill.” “These new Agri-Laws passed in Parliament in a brazen anti-democratic manner, threaten India’s food security, destroy Indian agriculture and our farmers, lay the basis for the abolishment of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and mortgage Indian agriculture and our markets to the caprices of multi-national agri-business corporates and domestic corporates,” added the joint statement that was released by the CPI (M). The Bharat Bandh would be “complete” as all businesses, shops and commercial establishments would remain shut from morning till evening, said All-India Kisan Sabha (Ajoy Bhavan) general secretary (Punjab) Baldev Singh Nihalgarh.

The Hindu

2020-12-07

NEW DELHI