Bharat Bandh on February 16: Schools, Offices, Banks, Others to Remain Shut as Farmers Prepare to Stage Nationwide Protest Tomorrow? Here’s All You Need to Know
The non-political Samyukta Kisan Morcha has called for other farmer groups with similar goals to come together and participate in the Bharat bandh.
New Delhi, February 15: A statewide strike, known as the Gramin Bharat Bandh, has been scheduled for Friday, February 16, by a number of farmers' groups, notably the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), in order to urge their demands before the Central government. The major trade unions called for a Gramin Bharat Bandh on February 16, and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha asked other like-minded farmers' groups to band together and participate. Hundreds of farmers who were marching from Punjab have been halted at the state's border with Haryana at Ambala, which is around 200 kilometres from Delhi, in conjunction with the demand for a Bharat bandh.
In an attempt to scatter them, Haryana police have doused them with tear gas. If the demonstrators move forward, the Delhi Police are reportedly adamant about preventing them from entering the nation's capital. The non-political Samyukta Kisan Morcha has called for other farmer groups with similar goals to come together and participate in the Bharat bandh. Farmers’ Protest: Delhi Traffic Police Issues Advisory in View of Proposed Protest From February 13.
What is Expected to be Affected by Gramin Bharat Bandh?
The statewide strike by farmer unions on Friday, February 16, is likely to keep roads, farms, rural works under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), private offices, village stores, and institutions in the rural industrial and service sectors closed. According to reports, emergency services, including ambulance services, newspaper delivery, marriages, medical stores, board exam preparation for students, etc., are probably not going to be impacted during the strike.
What Demands Do Farmers Have?
Farmers are returning to the streets of Punjab and Haryana to press for legislation that would provide a Minimum Support Price, or MSP, for their agricultural products. Furthermore, the farmers seek to fortify the MGNREGS, bring back the previous pension plan, and guarantee social security and pensions for all employees in the legal and unofficial sectors. Farmers’ Delhi Chalo March: Police Prohibit Gatherings at Delhi-Uttar Pradesh Border, Entry of Tractors, Trolleys, Buses and Trucks Prohibited.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the SKM requested an MSP for crops based on the Swaminathan formula of C2 50 (input cost of capital 50%), a legal procurement guarantee, debt forgiveness, no increase in power rates, and the removal of smart metres. Among other things, they wanted a rise in pensions to 10,000 a month, full crop insurance, and 300 free units of power for farming for both household use and shops.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 15, 2024 08:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).