To mark the first anniversary of the three contentious farm laws getting Presidential assent, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer organisations, is observing a “Bharat Bandh” (strike) today. The SKM has urged all Indians to join the strike.

As part of the 10-hour bandh, the SKM has called for the closure of government and private offices, educational and other institutions, shops, industries, and commercial establishments. Only emergency and essential services would be exempted. However, the farmers' body has clarified that the bandh will be enforced voluntarily and peacefully.

“It was on September 27, 2020, that President Shri Ram Nath Kovind assented to and brought into force the three anti-farmer black laws last year. Tomorrow, there will be a total Bharat Bandh observed around the country from 6 am to 4 pm,” the SKM said on Sunday.

"More than 605 farmers have been martyred, including two deaths related to police brutalities. The Modi government is behaving in an extremely undemocratic and inhuman way against farmers, and BJP will certainly bear the consequences of this,” the SKM said.

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait said, “Ambulances, doctors or those going for an emergency can pass through. We've not sealed down anything, we just want to send a message. We appeal to the shopkeepers to keep their shops closed for now and open only after 4 pm. No farmer is coming here from outside.”

Ambulances, doctors or those going for an emergency can pass through. We've not sealed down anything, we just want to send a message. We appeal to the shopkeepers to keep their shops closed for now and open only after 4pm. No farmer is coming here from outside: Rakesh Tikait, BKU pic.twitter.com/HaBDbFFKLT

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) September 27, 2021

Who all are supporting the bandh?

Not just farmer bodies, the state governments of Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Punjab, Jharkhand, and Andhra Pradesh have also extended their support to the strike.

Political parties that have extended support to the protest include Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Samajwadi Party (SP), Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Janata Dal (Secular), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), SAD-Sanyukt, Yuvajana Sramika Rythu (YSR) Congress Party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Swaraj India among others.

Leftist outfits like the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, All India Forward Bloc, and Revolutionary Socialist Party have also supported the protest call.

The SKM has, however, maintained that none of the political parties or their representatives will be given space on the movement’s stage.

The bandh plan

The SKM said no government and private offices, educational and other institutions, shops, industries, and commercial establishments will be allowed to operate across the country.

The SKM and outfits supporting the bandh said they will block the roads but emphasised that ambulances, vegetable and milk vehicles will be allowed. People involved in relief and rescue work and those attending to personal emergencies will also be exempted.

In Punjab, farmers have already gathered at rail tracks to disrupt the movement of trains. Farmers from several states have come to the Delhi-Haryana border to stage a sit-in and block roads and highways.

As a precautionary measure, Haryana Police have made elaborate security arrangements and advised people to plan accordingly as they may face traffic blockades on various roads and highways of the state.

Similarly, the Delhi Police have informed that the traffic from Uttar Pradesh towards Ghazipur has been stopped due to the protest. Also, both the carriageways of the Red Fort have been closed.

Traffic Alert

Traffic movement has been closed from UP towards Ghazipur due to protest.— Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) September 27, 2021

Also, the trade unions supporting the bandh, in collaboration with several bar associations and local units of the All India Lawyers' Union, will organise a protest rally at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi at 11 am today.