Normal life was disrupted in Punjab on Tuesday due to the nationwide Bharat bandh called by several farmer unions.
Shops and commercial establishments were completely or partially closed in many parts of the State. In the capital Chandigarh, however, shops were open in many markets. The vehicular traffic was also close to normal in the city.
In other parts of the State, as several group of farmers, members of government employee associations and trade bodies held peaceful sit-ins (dharnas) on key roads, including national and State highways, and even on railway tracks at a few places, vehicular and rail traffic movement was severely disrupted on the Chandigarh-Delhi, Amritsar-Delhi national highways.
Roads were also blocked in Patiala, Moga, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Barnala, Faridkot, Muktsar, Mansa, and Bathinda among other districts. Public transport including buses and taxis were few and far between and most fuel outlets also remained closed.
Large gatherings
Several thousand people including the elderly, women and youth joined the dharnas and shouted slogans against the BJP-led government at the Centre, accusing it of implementing “anti-farmer” policies, and called for the demands of the farmers to be met. Supply of essential commodities was disrupted at few places during the shutdown.
Squatting on a road in Mohali’s phase-8, several employees of Punjab Education Board blocked vehicular traffic. “We are protesting to express our solidarity with farmers. All of us are with them in their struggle and it’s our duty. We will continue to support farmers and their agitation unless the demands of farmer are not fulfilled,” Sukhchain Singh, a leader of Punjab School Education Board Employees Association, told The Hindu.
Wide spread support
Several unions representing government employees, commission agents, industry, transporters, petroleum dealers had extended their support to the protest. Political parties including the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal had supported the bandh call. Punjab Civil Secretariat Staff Association president Sukhchain Khaira claimed that nearly 50,000 government employees across in the State had taken casual leave to express their support to farmers' cause.
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said the unity showcased by the farmers through the ‘Bharat Bandh’ had underscored the need for repeal of the farm laws, followed by a detailed discussion on agricultural reforms.
Farm leaders urge non-political support for Bharat bandh
The Chief Minister asked why the Centre could not heed the demands of the farmers, agitating across the country, to scrap these laws and hold fresh talks with all stakeholders. “Had I been in their place I would not have taken a minute to accept my mistake and revoke the laws,” he said.
Reiterating that Punjab was not consulted on the farm law issues, Capt. Amarinder said the fact was that it was the ‘Akalis’ who were party to the black farm laws. He added that while Harsimrat Kaur Badal was part of the Union cabinet that approved the ordinances, Sukhbir Badal, president of Shiromani Akali Dal took a wishy-washy stand at the first all-party meeting the Chief Minister had convened on the issue and did not bother to attend the second one.
“In the process of wanting to keep both the Central Government and the farmers happy, they ended up making everyone unhappy,” he added.
However, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur termed the shutdown as a ‘complete failure’. He said the bandh had no impact in the State as traffic was smooth as usual barring few incidents of road blockade by the Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Shimla town.
“The Opposition leaders had miserably failed to garner the support of common man as people of the State know that agriculture laws enacted by the Central government were beneficial for the farmers,” he said.
Mr. Thakur said the Opposition parties were desperately trying to rake up this whole issue in a bid to remain politically alive. He said the same political parties who were now opposing this Act had given their full support to the Bill during the UPA government led by Manmohan Singh.
