Bharat Bandh on March 26: Farmers call for Nationwide strike as their protest completes 4 months

Intensifying their protest against the Centre’s newly enacted farm laws, the agitating farmers have called for a nationwide Bharat Bandh on March 26. Notably, the Bharat Bandh has been called by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on completion of four months of farmers’ protest at Delhi borders. The SKM has planned several protests over the days, which includes “burning of anti-farmer laws during Holika Dehan”.

Farmer leader Buta Singh Burjgill said farmers along with trade unions will protest the hike in fuel prices and privatisation of railways on March 15.

“Memoranda will be submitted to district magistrates against the rising prices of diesel, petrol and LPG. Protests will be held at railway stations across the country against privatisation,” he said.

He added, “We will observe a complete Bharat bandh on March 26, when our protest against the three farm laws completes four months. The peaceful bandh will remain effective from morning till evening.”

On March 19, the farmers will observe “Mandi Bachao-Kheti Bachao” day, he said.

The farmer unions have also decided to celebrate ‘Shaheedi divas’ of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, the farmer leader said.

Youths from all parts of the country will join the farmers’ protests at Delhi borders on that day, Burjgill added.

Farmers leaders also said that copies of the new farm laws will be burnt during ‘Holika Dahan’ on March 28.

They said “Kisan Yatras” will be taken out in Bihar from March 11 and conclude on March 18 on Kisan Kranti Divas.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at the Delhi border points Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur for over four months, demanding the repeal of farm laws and a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.

The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the MSP system, leaving them at the “mercy” of big corporations.

However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring better opportunities to farmers and introduce new technologies in agriculture.