Bharat Bandh on March 26: Rail, Road Transport Services Likely To Be Affected As Farmer Unions Call for Nationwide Shutdown; Know What Will Remain Open and Closed

New Delhi, March 25: Farmers protesting against the three farm laws passed in Parliament last year have called a complete Bharat bandh on Friday, March 26, 2021. Notably, on March 26, the farmers' protest at Delhi's borders-Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri, against the farm laws completes four months. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a front of protesting farmer unions, has appealed to people of the nation to make the March 26 Bharat Bandh a complete success. Farmers' Protest: Govt Torturing 'Annadata', Says Rahul Gandhi.

The farmers have been protesting against the three farm laws that include- Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, which were passed by Parliament in September 2020.

Bharat Bandh Timing

Bharat Bandh will be observed for 12 hours on Friday, March 26, from 6 am to 6 pm. All road and rail transport, markets, and other public places will be closed across the country. Trade unions from organised and unorganised sectors, and transport and other associations have extended their support for the ''Bharat Bandh'' call of farmer organisations on March 26.  Farmers' Protest: Farmer Leaders Reject Centre's Proposal to Constitute Committee on Farm Laws, Stay Implementation for 18 Months.

Bharat Bandh: Here's What Will Remain Open and Closed

1. Unlike the previous bandhs and protests and jams, the Bharat Bandh on March 26 is going to be a complete 12-hour nationwide shutdown
2. All road and rail transport will be closed across the country on March 26, from 6 am to 6 pm.
3. During the Bharat Bandh, farmers will block rail tracks in various places. Markets and transport services will be closed.
4. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha has clarified that the states and union territories where Assembly elections are going to be held will be exempt from the nationwide blockade (Bharat Bandh) being planned on March 26.
5. This means four poll-bound states- Kerala, Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (UT) will be exempted from Bharat Bandh on Friday.
6. Rail and road transportation services are likely to be affected and markets may remain closed in parts of the country on Friday.
7. Emergency services like ambulance and fire will be allowed during the nationwide shutdown.
8. Confederation of All India Traders, which claimed representation of eight crore traders in the country, said that markets will remain open on March 26 as it is not participating in the ''Bharat Bandh''.
9. In view of Bharat Bandh, all schools in Odisha shall remain closed on Friday, the School & Mass Education Department of Odisha said.

So far, there have been 11 rounds of talks between the protesting unions and government, but deadlock continued as both sides stuck to their stand. Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at the Delhi border points for over four months, demanding the repeal of farm laws and a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 25, 2021 09:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).