New Delhi: Rail and road transport is expected to remain in many parts of the country on Friday. Shops and markets may also remain closed as farmer organizations protesting the new agricultural laws of the Center have called for a complete ‘Bharat Bandh’. However, it will not be closed in five electoral states.
According to the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the bandh will start from 6 am on March 26 across the country and will continue till 6 pm, which is being carried out on the completion of four months of the Kisan agitation on the three borders of Delhi – Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri. Senior farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said that road and rail transport will be blocked, markets will also be closed. The Morcha said that there will be a shutdown in the national capital as well.
Farmers will disrupt road and rail transport
Rajewal said that trade unions and transport and other organizations associated with organized and unorganized sector have given their support to the call of farmers of ‘Bharat Bandh’. He said, “Farmers will block the rail tracks at different places. Market and transport services will remain closed during Bharat Bandh. ”Farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar said that‘ Bharat Bandh ’will have a major impact in Haryana and Punjab.
They will get exemption during bandh, electoral states have been kept out
Rajewal said that essential services such as ambulances and firefighting would be allowed during the shutdown. According to farmer leaders, no company or factory will be closed. Necessary places like petrol pumps, medical stores, general stores will remain open. Electoral states – Tamil Nadu, Assam, West Bengal, Kerala and Puducherry have been kept out of the purview of the bandh.
CAIT bluntly – we are not involved in the closure, shops and markets will remain open
At the same time, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), which claims to represent 8 crore traders in the country, said that the markets will be open on 26 March as it is not involved in ‘Bharat Bandh’. The organization’s general secretary Praveen Khandelwal said, “We are not joining the Bharat Bandh. Markets will remain open in Delhi and other parts of the country. The ongoing deadlock can only be resolved through the negotiation process. There should be a discussion on amendments in agricultural laws that can make existing agriculture profitable. ‘
A statement issued by CAIT said, “Neither a farmer organization has spoken to us to support the Bharat Bandh nor does CAT itself support this bandh. Our view is that the deadlock between the farmers and the government should be resolved through a process of negotiation. ‘
What is the demand of farmers?
United Kisan Morcha has placed five demands during the Bharat Bandh appeal. These demands are – all three new agricultural laws should be repealed, laws on MSP and procurement should be made, all police cases against farmers should be canceled, electricity bills and pollution bills should be withdrawn, diesel, petrol, and gas prices should be reduced. The Morcha has appealed to the protesting farmers to maintain peace during the Bharat Bandh.
