Gramin Bharat Bandh tomorrow: See what's open and what's closed
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and central trade unions have announced a Gramin Bharat Bandh nationwide strike on Friday, in solidarity with the farmers' march to Delhi. This comes as hundreds of farmers from Punjab have been halted at the border with Haryana, about 200 kilometers from the national capital. In its call, the SKM (non-political) has urged all like-minded farmer organizations to unite and take part in the bandh. The day-long protest is scheduled from 6:00am to 4:00pm.
Why does this story matter?
Thousands of farmers from Haryana and Punjab have launched a "Delhi Chalo" protest over their demands, which include a law that guarantees a minimum support price (MSP) for their crops. Moreover, they are seeking the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations and agricultural loan waivers and pensions for farmers and farm laborers. They are also demanding the withdrawal of cases against farmers (from 2020-21's protest) and "justice" for the Lakhimpur Kheri violence victims.
What to expect during the Gramin Bharat Bandh
During the strike, transportation, agricultural activities, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) rural works, private offices, village shops, and rural industrial and service sector institutions are expected to be closed. However, emergency services like ambulance operations, newspaper distribution, essential services for weddings, medical shops should not be affected. Students attending board exams won't be impacted either. The bandh will be organized a day after several farmers' unions announced a "rail roko" (stop trains) protest in Punjab on Thursday.
Public intellectuals support farmers' strike
Meanwhile, around 34 public intellectuals and artists have issued a joint statement in support of the call by workers and farmers for the nationwide strike on Friday. Among them are economist Prabhat Patnaik, historian Irfan Habib, economic historian Nasir Tyabji, cultural activist Anil Chandra, and journalist P Sainath. The statement said that farmers and workers have united to challenge the government's "pro-corporate, anti-people policies," and its "divisive communal propaganda."
Third round of talks between Centre, farmers
As the stand-off between the protesters and police at the Haryana-Punjab border continues, three union ministers are scheduled to meet farmers' leaders in Chandigarh for the third round of talks on Thursday. According to Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, the meeting will be held with Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, Nityanand Rai, and Arjun Munda at 5:00pm. The previous two meetings, held before the farmers' march to Delhi began, were "inconclusive."
