A nationwide peaceful Bharat bandh has been called out by the farmers that are opposing the new Farm Bill which will be initiated tomorrow from 11 AM till 3PM.
The 12th day of the Farmer’s protest saw new developments. Delhi CM Kejriwal along with his cabinet went to the protest venue to show his support. Along with him and his party, major opposition parties and trade unions also showed their support in the farmer’s call for a “Bharat Bandh.” What will remain shut? Who will be affected by this bandh the most? And why is it all happening in the first place? Let’s find out!
What is Bharat Bandh all about and is it going to be all day long?
The Bharat bandh, is a call by the farmer’s who have been protesting against and opposing the much debated and controversial Farm Bill 2020 since the last fortnite. BKU or Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait stated that the union is not intending to cause any problems to the common citizen of India, and thus, the Bandh will start from 11 AM and end at 3 PM. Furthermore, he said that emergency services and preplanned functions such as weddings will not be affected in any way by the strike.
What is the cause of these protests?
Thousands of agitated farmers have gathered around New Delhi in protesting against 3 laws that were passed in the Parliament:
- Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020
- Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020
- Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
The law is centered around deregulating the Indian agricultural ecosystem by completely removing the middleman and encouraging the farmers to supply their produce to the bigger companies. While it sounds fair on paper, the farmers have a cause of concern due to the vagueness of the law that has been passed. The farmers and the farm unions have a deep trust deficit against the center and hence, they have been forced into the corner to protest. There have been 5 major round of talks between the Farmer’s unions and the center, the fifth one of which ended in a deadlock. The sixth of which is schedule to take place this Wednesday.
Now that we know why there’s a protest and consequently, a nation wide strike, let’s take a look at who exactly will be impacted the most by the strike.
Who will be impacted most by the strike?
Delhi along with the major parts of NCR, can see a setback in the supply of fruits and vegetables as major mandis will be adhering to the strike.
Supply logistics in North India could be impacted because of the strike as more than 50 Transportation and Trade Unions have come forward in solidarity with the farmers, including ones from Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir.
Maharashtra could also see dwindling supply of fruits and vegetables as Mandis in Vashi and Navi Mumbai will remain closed during the stipulated time.
A number of bank unions too have come forward in support of the farmers, though this will not be affecting any banking services.
It is not all gloom and doom though as hospitals, emergency services, pharmacies and medical shops will remain active and open.
