Latest Updates From Farmer Protest : Protests such as Bharat Bandh, Chakka Jam, No Toll in Haryana, and Chalo Dilli will unite on Friday in support of farmers’ demands.
The farmers’ union Samyukta Kisan Morcha has announced a Gramin Bharat Bandh for February 16 from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. All agricultural activity will be suspended as it is a gramin bandh. Village markets, stores, and other businesses will stay closed because the bandh has the endorsement of numerous labor organizations. Congress and left-leaning parties alike back the bandh. The farmers’ protest that is currently taking place on the Punjab-Haryana border is not the same as this bandh, but they are both distinct rallies with similar demands made by separate organizations.
Farmers’ protest and tomorrow’s Bharat bandh | That’s all there is to it.
1. On February 13, farmers, primarily from Punjab, began “Chalo Dilli,” calling for a legal guarantee of MSP among other things. This demonstration was called by the non-political Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha. Their goal was to travel to Delhi, but the Haryana police stopped them at the Punjab-Haryana boundary. These farmers have been camping on the borders since the evening of February 13.
2. Since their protest in 2020–21, which compelled the government to abolish three farm legislation, farmers’ unions have witnessed a lot of splinters. Samyukt Kisan Morcha did not participate in the Chalo Dilli demonstration, although the umbrella organization SKM made the request for
the Central Trade Unions and the Gramin Bharat bandh tomorrow. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha has a faction known as SKM (non-political).
3. Both protesters are calling for the same things: debt forgiveness, legal procurement guarantees, MSP for all crops based on the Swaminathan commission’s suggestion, no increase in electricity prices, and no smart meters. Along with other demands, they asked for free 300 units of electricity for shops, homes, and farms, full crop insurance, and a raise in pensions to ₹10,000 per month.
4. On Thursday, the Bharatiya Kisan Union called for farmers in Haryana to stop paying tolls, which intensified the protests. This is one of the choices made internally by the Farmers’ Union. “Three decisions were taken today: first is that we will keep Haryana toll free for 3 hours tomorrow from 12pm. to 3pm; the day after tomorrow, there will be a tractor parade in every Tehsil, from 12pm; on February 18, there will be a joint meeting of all farmers’ and labour organisations,” Gurnam Singh Charuni stated.
5. SKM and Central Trade Unions have called for a collective “Groin Bharat bandh” to stop all agricultural labor between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. Renowned figures who backed the walkout included economist Prabhat Patnaik, historian Irfan Habib, economic historian Nasir Tyabji, cultural activist Anil Chandra, and journalist P Sainath.
6. On February 16, farmers would participate in a chakka jam on the country’s major roadways from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., combining the efforts of the Gramin Bharat Bandh with the farmers’ protest. Nationwide transportation is probably going to be impacted. Punjab’s highways would stay closed as long as the government backs the demonstration.
7. While the Bharat Bandh will guarantee that emergency services remain unaffected, on Friday there will be no employment for farmers, agricultural workers, or rural laborers.
8. Vegetable and other crop sales and purchases would be halted during the Bharat Bandh.
9. In the midst of the continuous farmers’ protest, Congress declared that, should MSP win an election, it would provide it a legal guarantee. The BJP questioned why the party, which was in power in 2010, had not put the Swaminathan Commission recommendations into effect, which set off a political slugfest.
10. Despite SKM’s claim that the Gramin Bharat Bandh won’t affect students taking exams, there are calls to postpone exams in Punjab, where the strike will have the most effect.