NEW DELHI: The farmers' union who has been protesting against the three contentious farm laws enacted by the Centre, has called for a Bharat Bandh on March 26.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a coalition of farmers' unions, which has given a call for Bharat Bandh or a countrywide strike has been protesting against the three 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, since November last year.
The SKM said all road and rail transport, markets and other public places will remain closed across the country, except for the poll-bound locations.
The Union has appealed to the people to make the shutdown a success which will be observed tomorrow from 6am to 6pm.
The protesting farmers fear that the new laws will dismantle the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and corporatise the farming sector. They have been demanding for the repeal of the three farm laws under the condition that the MSP will continue.
Although the farmers' unions have held over ten rounds of talks with the Centre but no concrete solution has emerged so far.
Farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and several other states have been staging a sit-in along Delhi borders — Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur.
It needs to be mentioned here that this is the second nationwide strike announced by the farmers, earlier a similar strike took place on December 8, which received support from several trade unions, various other organisations as well as 24 opposition parties.
The Bhartiya Kisan Morcha said in Tweet, "In order to make Bharat Bandh successful, all District President, the Block President / Tehsil President and top officials should coordinate to ensure that the bandh is made successful."
As per reports, all business establishments will be closed and no road and rail traffic will be allowed to ply.
It has further mentioned that on March 28, copies of the three agricultural laws will be burnt during 'Holika Dahan'.