Massive Support for Farmers’ Bharat Bandh, Govt Flounders

The Bharat Bandh in support of the farmers’ movement is being followed in Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCS) across the country. In the Navi Mumbai APMC market, which is known as Asia's largest APMC, the inflow of the stock of vegetables and flowers today is less than expected. 

Shashikant Shinde, leader of the Mathadi Coolie Union, told NewsClick that on a daily basis, around 400 to 500 jeeps reach APMC in the morning. Today, the number was as low as about 140. Similar reports emerged from the flower APMC in Pune. Instead of its usual 100 tempos, only about 40 could be seen reaching the market today, according to Rahul Jagtap, one of the agents from the APMC. 

However, the milk supply remained unaffected in the state for the most part.

The Bandh will be observed in cities mainly from about 11 am to about 3 pm. The protesters are likely to stage a chakka jam at some locations. 

The state government has increased police presence on the ground to avoid any “unwanted incident”. 

In West Bengal, defying the mist of December mornings, picketing was started early on before all important rail and road links as people began to participate in the Bharat Bandh today.

Reports of picketing came from Jadavpur, Madhyamgram, Siuri, Rampurhat bus stand in Malda, Burdwan town, East Burdwan district and North Dinajpur. Shops and establishments have rarely been open so far and private vehicles were not seen running today in most parts of the state.

There have been rail link pickets in Domjur, Uluberia and in Bali where tyres were also  burnt on the roads, stopping the vehicular movement. Reports of scant attendance in jute mills and at the Calcutta port have emerged in the context of Bharat Bandh. The attendance in tea gardens remained low as well. 

State Road Transport Corporations in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana came to a complete halt as workers boycotted work in support of the Bharat Bandh called by farmers’ organisations demanding repeal of the three farm laws.  

Transport workers joined by farmers, trade unions, and political parties, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Congress, Left Parties — CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML), New Democracy and Telangana Jana Samithi — are staging sit-in protests and rallies at bus stands and bus depots across both the Telugu-speaking states. 

CPI(M) Andhra Pradesh Secretary P Madhu, along with farmers and other Left party leaders, joined a ‘Rasta Roko’ in Vijayawada city as part of the ongoing bandh. Meanwhile, the police presence has been beefed up at the protest sites. 

In Hyderabad, expecting road blockades, the state police have specified a few routes for emergency purposes. Farmers’ organisations and political parties have gathered at Hyderabad’s Dharna Chowk at Indira Park and have started protest demonstrations. 

In the backdrop of the Bandh, Osmania University and Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University have postponed today’s exams. 

Information Technology professionals held a protest demonstration in Hyderabad’s Hitech city in solidarity with the fighting farmers.

Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut was quoted as saying by ANI, “It's no political Bandh. It's our sentiment. Farmer orgs agitating in Delhi aren't carrying any political flag. It's our duty to stand in unity with farmers and stay connected to their sentiments. There is no politics here and there shouldn't be.”

Shiv Sena is one of the 18 political parties supporting the Bandh.

Raut added, “If the government has a heart, be it the home minister or the prime minister, they themselves will go and talk to the farmers.

Amey Tirodkar/Mumbai: Reports from across the state indicate that Bandh is being observed successfully with day-to-day routine on hold. Farmers’ organisations are organising Chakka Jam and Rasta Roko in Ahmednagar, Nandurbar, Sangli, Amravati, Beed and Aurangabad. However, the protests remain peaceful with no reports of any “untoward” incident.

In Pune, the shopkeepers have kept their shutters down; many shops in Dadar, Mulund, Kurla, Goregaon, Fort area of Mumbai, too, remain closed.

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Sandipan Talukdar/Guwahati: Assam is witnessing a massive shutdown following the Bharat Bandh call given by protesting farmers. All the district headquarters of the state have been affected by the bandh, including the capital city of Guwahati. 

In Dibrugarh, a commercially important town of the state, shops and market complexes remain closed with only a few options of public transport available. Meanwhile, in the state capital as well, markets wore a deserted look. Only a few private cars could be seen plying on the streets along with a small number of buses. Roads are being blocked by burning tyres at different locations in the state. 

While Congress and Left parties are implementing the Bharat Bandh in the state, the ruling Biju Janata Dal has announced closure of all government offices and suspension of bus services, according to local reports. A farmers' joint platform, Odisha Navnirman Krushak Sangathan (NKS) is spearheading the movement in this eastern state. BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra was quoted as saying that the BJD has a "neutral" stand on the Bharat Bandh but it supports the farmers' demand for implementation of Swaminathan Commission report for better prices for agricultural produce. 

In September, when the Modi govt. tabled the farm law bills in Rajya Sabha, BJD MP Amar Pattnaik had opposed them demanding they be sent to Parliamentary Committees for further scrutiny. 

New Delhi: A section of auto and taxi unions on Tuesday joined the 'Bharat Bandh' called by agitating farmer unions to press for repeal of the Centre's agri laws and decided to keep their vehicles off the roads here.

Kamaljeet Gill, President of Sarvodaya Driver Association of Delhi, which represents drivers working with cab aggregators, claimed most of its members were on strike.

"There are around 4 lakh app based cabs in Delhi-NCR. Most of our members are on strike," he said.

President of Delhi Taxi Tourist Transporters Association, Sanjay Samrat said drivers associated with several unions including Delhi State Taxi Cooperative Society and Kaumi Ekta Welfare Association were on strike.

Sandipan Talukdar/Guwahati: In Assam’s Karimganj, shops, markets and roads remained deserted with even the district headquarter reporting negligible movement. In Golaghat, there was picketing by the Left student organisations amid the shutdown.

PTI/Raipur: Major cities in Chhattisgarh, including capital Raipur, wore a deserted look on Tuesday morning with most of the business establishments remaining closed as part of the Bharat Bandh called by farmer unions against the Centre's new agriculture laws.

Leaders of the ruling Congress, including MLAs and workers, have come out on streets at many places in Raipur and are appealing people to express solidarity with farmers.

"At least 36 farmers, labourers and social organisations led by Chhattisgarh Kisan Majdoor Mahasangh (CKMM) have been staging protests at various locations in the state in support of the shutdown," said Sanket Thakur, member of CKMM's convener board.

In the state capital, Raipur, farmers have gathered at Budha Talab dharna sthal from where they will take out a rally seeking support of people, he said.

Various trade unions and road transport associations have also extended their support to the Bandh, Thakur added.

PTI/Ahmedabad:  Protesters blocked three highways in rural Gujarat by placing burning tyres on roads on Tuesday morning as part of the Bharat Bandh called by agitating farmer unions to press for repeal of the Centre's agri laws, affecting vehicular traffic for some time.

A highway connecting Ahmedabad to Viramgam was blocked near Sanand by protesters from the Congress party who placed burning tyres on roads, causing a traffic jam.

Another group of protesters blocked a national highway in Vadodara.

In another incident, a highway connecting Bharuch and Dahej in Bharuch districtwas similarly blocked near Nandelav by protesters.

The state government has imposed Section 144 of the CrPC, which bans assembly of more than four persons, in view of the Bharat Bandh.

Bharat Bandh has received widespread response in the Southern part of the country as well. A total shutdown is being reported from Puducherry with shops shut and empty roads. While the farmers’ protests against the newly enacted three farm laws remain more concentrated around the national capital, with the call for Bandh today, the support has outpoured from across the country.

All India Kisan Sabha President Dr. Ashok Dhawale, while addressing the farmers at the road blockade at Palwal (Delhi-Mathura Road), said that the government has overlooked the real demands of the farmers -- debt waiver and fair MSP -- and has instead brought in three laws that no farmers’ organisation has asked for. He added, “The government has waged a war against the people of this country.. Farmers of this country.. On the borders of Punjab and Haryana.”

Dhawale also congratulated farmers for successfully standing their ground and bravely fighting the government.

The UP Police personnel have remained stationed at former MP and senior CPI(M) leader Subhashini Ali’s residence in Kanpur from 7 am today. A jeep full of police personnel is also standing outside her house, it was reported. Condemning this move by the UP government to suppress dissent, the CPI(M) said, “The UP government is trying to stop people from participating in the Bharat Bandh.”

Sagrika Kissu/Jammu: “Kisan virodhi kanoon wapis lo (Repeal the anti-farmer laws)” slogan rented the air in Vikram Chowk as Transporters’ Association in Jammu joined the Bharat Bandh call in support of the protesting farmers.

TS Wazir, President of the Association, claimed that all the transporters are on strike in support of the farmers in Delhi. Heavy presence of the paramilitary forces could be seen around the site of protest.

Prudhviraj Rupawat/Hyderabad: From MPs, MLAs to village Sarparch, all are participating in ‘Rasta Roko’ across highways in Telangana. Districts are witnessing a complete shutdown as most of the small business outlets, public and private establishments have voluntarily closed operations. 

Barring BJP, all political parties, trade unions, farmers’ organisations and civil society organisations are taking part in the protest demonstrations across the state. 

As Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao asked his party members to make the Bandh successful, all state ministers have joined the Rasta Roko demonstrations across districts. 

“PM Modi is trying to cheat farmers through the new farm laws which are made only for the benefit of the corporates,” said Panchayat Raj Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao, who was participating in a road blockade in Warangal town. 

In Bhupalpally, CPI, CPI(M) leaders held half naked protests along with farmers. 

Thousands of people participated in joint rallies in Mahaboobnagar, Warangal, Khammam and Nalgonda.

Neelambaran A/Chennai: Shops and establishments remain closed in many parts of the Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu as part of the Bharat Bandh. The opposition parties and traders’ organisations have extended support to the bandh call of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee, fighting to repeal the anti-farmer laws enacted by the BJP-led government at the Centre.

The Assam Police have detained a few people who were protesting in front of Janata Bhawan in Guwahati today, in support of the Bharat Bandh called by farmer unions, reported ANI. They could be seen being taken to Dispur police station.

Mohd Imran Khan/ Patna: Train and road services were badly hit in Bharat Bandh (countrywide shutdown) called by the protesting farmers and supported by opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal and Left parties.

Protestors stopped over a dozen long-distance and passenger trains at Patna, Gaya, Jehanabad, Hajipur, Bhagalpur and Darbhanga districts as part of the shutdown.

"Train services have been badly disrupted due to the shutdown since early Tuesday morning,” an East Central Railway official from Hajipur, said.
According to police, protestors blocked roads including national and state highways in Begusarai,Vaishali,Jehanabad,Gaya,Patna,Bhagalpur,Madhubani,Bhojpur,Siwan,Samastipur,Khagaria,Purnea and Arwal districts.

CPI (M) leader Arun Kumar Mishra said contractual health employees and others also joined the strike.