The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), which represents over 40 farm unions and is leading the farmers' movement against the Centre's three farm bills, has called for a countrywide strike, or Bharat Bandh, on September 27, the tenth month of their protest.
Several opposition parties have backed the farmers' demand for a bandh. While Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has backed the bandh, Tejashwi Yadav, the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, has said he will join the countrywide protest.
Bharat Bandh Details
All government and private offices, educational and other institutions, stores, factories and commercial enterprises, as well as public events and activities, will be closed across the nation from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the bandh.
The bank officers' union has expressed its support for the 'Bharat Bandh.' The All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AlBOC) has expressed its support for the bandh that would take place on Monday. It has asked the government to meet with farmers to discuss their requests and to repeal the three laws at the centre of the conflict.
On Monday, the confederation's affiliates and state units will join in solidarity with farmer protests around the nation, according to the organisation. The NSS Land and Livestock Holdings of Households and Situation Assessment of Agricultural Households, 2018-19 report, which was issued earlier this month, cast doubt on the Centre's goal to double farmers' income by 2022.
From Rs 47,000 in 2013, the average outstanding debt per farm family has grown to Rs 74,121 in 2018. The rising indebtedness of rural households, according to the group, shows serious farm hardship.
Tejashwi Yadav will take part in the 'Bharat Bandh'.
Tejashwi Yadav, the former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and RJD leader, has also expressed his support for the farmers' request for a Bharat Bandh on September 27. Tejashwi Yadav stated in a tweet on Friday that a meeting of the senior leaders of the grand alliance parties convened at his house unanimously resolved to participate in and support the Bharat Bandh on September 27, "in protest against the NDA government's anti-farmer policies." We're tough on the farmers."
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has called for a 'Bharat Bandh' during a two-day national conference near the Singhu border last month.
Kerala's ruling LDF has announced a bandh on September 27. Kerala's governing LDF has also announced a state-wide hartal on September 27 to show support for the farmers. After a meeting of the leaders of the ruling party coalition in Thiruvananthapuram, LDF convenor and CPI(M) acting secretary A Vijayaraghavan made the announcement.
Vijayaraghavan told the media that five lakh people will take part in the demonstration. Over 100 organisations, he said, had lent their support to the LDF movement, including motor transport workers, bank employees, and farmers' organisations.
The SDPI supports the farmers' request for a Bharath Bandh.
SKM's proposal for a Bharat Bandh has received backing from the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). In an official statement, SDPI National General Secretary Elyas Muhammad Thumbe remarked, "The Social Democratic Party of India expresses its sympathy with the Bharath Bandh on September 27." He went on to say that the party has been supporting farmers' agitation from its foundation and has staged hundreds of anti-farm legislation rallies around the nation.
Farm rules, he added, are "disastrous to the Indian agricultural society" and would only benefit capitalists and feudal elements. "The Union BJP Government is unconcerned about farmer issues," the SDPI representative remarked.
Thousands of farmers, mostly from Haryana, Punjab and Western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting since November 26 last year against the three recently passed farm laws: Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
