Intensifying their protests against the contentious agricultural bills passed by Parliament, various farmers' organisations, including from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, have called a national shutdown on Friday.
As many as 31 farmer organisations have joined hands for the ‘Punjab Bandh’. Several organisations in Haryana, including the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), said they had extended support to the nationwide strike called by some farmers’ bodies against the bills. A number of farmers' groups said they will hold a "chakka jam" from 10 am to 4 pm on Friday.
BKU's Haryana president, Ratan Singh Mann, said, "Various farmers' organisations of Haryana will hold protests in all districts, tehsil, block and village levels against the farm bills passed by the Parliament. There will be a 'chakka jaam' from 10am to 4pm."
Mann also said that like Haryana, there will be protests in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and other states.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the BJP’s oldest ally, has also announced road blockades across Punjab on Friday to protest against the contentious bills. SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema said the party’s senior leaders, workers, farmers and farm labourers would block roads in the state for three hours from 11 am in a peaceful manner.
The Congress said it supported the 'Bharat Bandh' call given by farmer organisations for Friday, saying millions of party workers stand in solidarity with the farmers' cause and will participate in their dharnas. Chief Congress spokesperson Randeep Sujewala said that while farmers and farm labourers fill the stomachs of countrymen with their hard labour, the Narendra Modi government is attacking them and their fields.
Earlier former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet, "Modi government's priorities -- Instead of talking to farmers and workers to find a solution to their problems, busy in PR." Delhi Congress chief Anil Chaudhary said the party workers in Delhi will launch a plan to raise the voice of farmers and farm labourers from Parliament to panchayats. He said workers will take to the streets against the farm bills.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh appealed to the farmers to maintain law and order, and adhere to all coronavirus-safety protocols during the strike. In a statement, Singh said the state government was fully with the farmers in their fight against the bills and no FIRs would be registered for violation of Section 144, which bars assembly of more than four people.
There should be no disturbance of law and order during the strike, the chief minister said. He appealed to the farmers to ensure that the citizens were not inconvenienced, and lives and property of people were not endangered due to the agitation. Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh appealed to the people, including shopkeepers and commercial establishments, to keep their shop shut in support of the strike.
Though many of the protesters have said that they will protest in their own areas and not aim to head to Delhi, Delhi Police are on high alert and have made preparations to seal the border with Haryana, in a bid to forestall any such attempt. However, traffic across the Delhi-Haryana border was normal on Thursday.
Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar also urged people to support the farmers and make the strike a success. The main opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has already extended its support, while the Shiromani Akali Dal has announced to hold road blockades. Farmers started a three-day rail blockade against the bills and squatted on tracks at many places in Punjab on Thursday. The farmer outfits have also decided to go for an indefinite rail blockade from October 1.
The protesters have expressed apprehension that the Centre’s farm reforms would pave the way for dismantling of the minimum support price system and they would be at the “mercy” of big corporates. The farmers said they would continue their fight till the three farm bills were revoked. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill were passed by the Parliament earlier this week.
Haryana BKU chief Gurnam Singh said besides the outfit, some other farmer organisations had also extended their support to the nationwide strike. “We have appealed that sit-ins should be held on state highways and other roads in a peaceful manner,” Singh said. “No sit-ins should be held on national highways.” Nobody should indulge in any kind of unlawful act during the strike from 10am to 4pm, Singh said.
The BKU leader said the commission agents, shopkeepers and transporters had also been urged to support the strike. Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij held a meeting with officers of the home and police departments on Thursday to review the situation, and directed the DGP to ensure elaborate police arrangements to prevent any untoward situation, according to a statement.