Thenationwide Bandh call given by farmers and several farmers’ organizationsagainst the new agricultural reforms will begin at 11am and continue till 3 pmon Tuesday.
Amidgrowing support from trade unions and opposition parties for tomorrow's BharatBandh call, some services, including supply of fruits, vegetables and transportetc could get affected in Delhi and the rest of the country, however, farmershave assured that it won’t be for a very long time as they have decided toobserve bandh for a short duration i.e. from 11 am to 3 pm.
Meanwhile,the call for a ‘peaceful’ nationwide shutdown tomorrow, is a day ahead of thesixth round of talks between protesting farmers and the centre, and isbasically for the purpose to build pressure on the government to take back thethree contentious agriculture reform laws.
Addressingthe press, Bharatiya Kisan Union Spokesperson Rakesh Tikait, said that theprotest is to show that we don't support some of the policies of the government.Unions have said their protest is ‘peaceful and will continue that way only’.
TheBandh is likely to be most well-observed in Punjab, which has extended its fullsupport. Various market associations and among other organizations havesubmitted memorandum to DC’s seeking permission to hold dharnas at various chowksand other points.
Sit-inprotests are likely to be observed in Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal,Telanaga and northeastern states of Tripura and Assam, besides others. This islikely to create traffic congestions.
Besides,all opposition parties except the Trinamool Congress - Shiv Sena, Congress,DMK, Kamal Haasan's MNM, RJD, Samajwadi Party, NCP, Aam Aadmi Party,newly-minted People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration in J&K and acollection of Left outfits - have backed the farmers and said they wouldorganise demonstrations across cities tomorrow.
Farmershave requested people to extend their support non-violently and said theirprotest was not meant to cause problems for the common man. “Tomorrow's BharatBandh is from 11 am to 3 pm. It is a symbolic protest. We will begin at 11 amso everyone can reach office or their destinations on time. Services such asambulance, even weddings, can go on without any disruptions. People can showtheir card and leave”, said Bharatiya Kisan Union Spokesperson Rakesh Tikait.
Membersof farmers' unions will also block national highways and occupy toll plazas,Harinder Singh Lakhowal, general secretary of Bharatiya Kisan Union had saidearlier.
Supplytruck movement could be hit in many states as all motor transport unions ofIndia have come out in farmers' support. They will organise peacefuldemonstrations and try to submit memorandum to District Collectors and Commissionersto resolve the issues amicably and to farmers' satisfaction at the earliest.
Anumber of bank unions have called for a black-band protest to show support tofarmers, but this is not likely to affect banking services.