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The proposed Bharat bandh by farmers protesting against the controversial farm laws on December 8 has received support from major political parties even as the protests intensified on Sunday forcing the Delhi Police to close certain routes for traffic in the capital.
A meeting of leaders of Samyukt Kisan Morcha, a coalition of 500 farmer groups spearheading the protest, chalked out its strategy for the Tuesday bandh, called to buttress their demand for scrapping of the farm laws and draft Electricity Amendment Bill 2020.
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Farmers' protest enters 10th dayThe meeting also criticised the government’s inability to take a decision on the farmers’ demand despite having five rounds of discussion. “This clearly indicates that it was not the government but someone else is dictating policy decisions taken in the country. If they think that this massive agitation of farmers will fizzle out in next few days, they are living in fool’s paradise,” said a farmer leader.
If the government is ready to make major amendments as it promised, why can’t it repeal the Acts altogether. It is taking this as a prestige issue, the leader said.
Opposition parties support
Meanwhile a number of political parties, including the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Dravida Munnetra Kazhakam, Aam Admi Party, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Left parties, came out in support of the December 8 bandh.
All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee, which together with farmer groups from Punjab and Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangha is leading the agitation, welcomed the support given by these political parties and urged others too to join. “It is now clear that the broadest sections of the society have spontaneously responded to the Central government’s repression of and trickery with the farmers today,” AIKSCC said in a statement.
The north Indian chapters of All India Motor Transport Congress too warned that buses, taxis and trucks will stay off the roads on December 8 in solidarity with the farmers.
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