Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 8

The farmer organisations’ cry for ‘Bharat Bandh’ evoked overwhelming support from people of diverse backgrounds, including trading, industry, shopping malls, educational institutes, religious bodies in the city.

Routine life was thrown out of gear as all commercial markets, establishments, including shops, petrol pumps downed their shutters acceding to the call to press upon Modi-led government to revoke all three farm laws.

The strike rounded off peacefully with no untoward incident reported. A complete shutdown was observed in the city crippling all walks of life and commercial establishments. Most of the roads were deserted, with the moving silence only broken by an occasional passing of a vehicle as people preferred to remain indoors.

Commercial hubs, including wholesale textile markets like Katra Ahluwalia, the Shastri market, Tahli Wala bazaar, Pratap bazaar and nearby streets were shuttered. Similar scenes were witnessed at the stationery items market, Mai Sewa Wala bazaar, gold and silver ornaments’ market Guru bazaar, Bhandiyan Wala bazaar, Chaurasti Attari and Batti Hatta. Grain markets like Daal mandi, Mishri bazaar, Swank mandi, Wadi Dhab, Dhab Wasti Ram, Lachhmansar Chowk and surrounding areas were no different.

The usual clinking and clanging of factories flecking industrial areas like Focal Point on the GT Road, Mehta road, Islamabad, Chheharta and others areas were muted today.

The golden side

Activists of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) held a rally at the Golden Gate and blocked the traffic for around four hours on the GT Road.

Despite five meetings with the Union government not eliciting any outcome, Sarwan Singh Pandher, general secretary of the KMSC, still sounded positive. He said the end result will be in favour of farmers and was grateful to urban residents and the trading community for extending their support to the agriculturists. He stated they would get its benefit. Otherwise, big malls will usurp small shops and they would go out of work. “It was no longer an agitation by the farmers but ‘Jan Andolan’ as differences between rural and urban, religions and of castes have evaporated,” Pandher told. Apart from farmers, women and children were present in large numbers at the Golden Gate. They raised slogans against the ‘black laws’ besides chiding corporate houses. A rally was also conducted blocking various prominent intersections of the city.

Schools, institutes shuttered

All educational institutes were closed; majority of schools did not even hold online classes. Higher educational institutions, including Guru Nanak Dev University, Khalsa College, DAV College, BBK DAV College for women were partially closed to show solidarity. Meanwhile, the non-teaching staff cordially supported the stir. The students of Government Dental College and Hospital, too, staged a protest outside the Company Bagh and raised slogans against the Centre demanding the rollback of the Bills.

Left parties, trade unions join hands

Left parties aligned with various trade unions to protest at the main Bhandari bridge. Their rallying cry slammed the Union government for following capitalistic policies, favouring corporate houses and privatisation of jobs. They said in this aping of international norms the government was hell-bent on destroying the ages-old profession.

District Congress party workers, led by president Jatinder Sonia, held a protest outside the Deputy Commissioner office. She said PM Modi was adopting political chicanery by holding meetings with farmers. “Farmers know how to secure justice for them and they will succeed,” she added. The protest concluded outside the residence of Rajya Sabha MP Shwait Malik.

Also, Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu and MLA Inderbir Singh Bolaria held a protest on the Sultanwind road. Members of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) also participated. Emergency services like medical services, chemists and even marriages were allowed.

Over 200 mini-bus and bus operators leave for Delhi

A batch of over 200 members of the Mini-bus Operator Workers Union and Amritsar, Gurdaspur’s District Bus Operator Association headed to Delhi to join farmers’ stir on Monday.

They went in four buses to take part in the protest at Delhi. Amritsar, Gurdaspur’ District Bus Operators Association President, Ashok Mannan, said transport operators extended support to the farmers who have been protesting for last two months to annul the ‘black laws’.

Tarksheel Society called on the Union government to not make it an ego-satisfying issue and withdraw it for peace stability in the country.

Sumit Singh, president of Tarksheel Society, stated that the agitation by farmers have become a mass movement taking in its stride all segments of the society. He, however, flayed those who were trying to give it a religious and spiritual colour. “Majority of people in the country have been victim of opportunistic political parties, priestly class, so-called leaders of religions, corruptions and many more,” he shared.