Singhu Border, 23 September (Sangrami Lehar Bureao)- Ahead of the Bharat Bandh announced for September 27th 2021, Samyukt Kisan Morcha put out an appeal to every Indian to join the historic Bandh against anti-farmer Modi government. In its appeal statement, SKM pointed out that the farmers’ protests are now at the centre of a national movement to prevent corporate capture of our economy, to safeguard national assets, save federalism, reclaim democracy and defend the unity of India. The appeal requests all Indians to join this movement and make the Bharat Bandh a resounding success. SKM appealed in particular to all organisations of workers, traders, transporters, businesspersons, students, youth and women and all social movements to extend solidarity with the farmers on the Bandh day. “We also call upon all political parties and state governments, many of whom have endorsed our earlier calls and passed resolutions supporting the movement, to lend their support to this Bharat Bandh and stand with the farmers in their quest to defend principles of democracy and federalism. Following our established policy, representatives of political parties shall not share the SKM stage”, said the SKM Appeal. It would be recalled that some state governments had stepped forward to support the Bandh call put out by Samyukt Kisan Morcha in the past.
Meanwhile, the All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC) put out a press release, extending fraternal support to the Bharat Bandh called by SKM on 27th September. AIBOC also urged the Government of India to re-open dialogue with the protesting farmers on their demands, and rescind the anti-farmer laws of 2020.
We have been reporting about local protests against leaders of BJP and allied parties in different parts of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan. These black flag protests being staged by local farmers are not just against office-bearers, MLAs and MPs of BJP and allies, but also against state government cabinet ministers in these states. Yesterday, it was the turn of Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Mr Narendra Singh Tomar, and Union Minister of Civil Aviation to be confronted with a black flag protest in Gwalior of Madhya Pradesh, on Scindia’s maiden visit to the region after being made into a Union Minister in the Modi Government. The youth who were protesting, by climbing onto vehicles with black flags, were whisked away by BJP workers first and later detained by the Police, and were released at around 11pm after Sec.151 of IPC. The protestors were affiliated to Kisan Sangharsh Samiti and OBC Mahasabha, who were protesting against the 3 anti-farmer black laws as well as against privatisation. They were also seeking a caste-based census.
Intense mobilisation is happening in various places of the country, in support of the farmers’ movement in general as well as to make the Sept. 27th Bharat Bandh a success. A 2-day Kisan Jagriti Abhiyan has been initiated today in Hanumangarh of Rajasthan as part of these efforts. Eight Kisan Sammelans are planned over two days in this Kisan Jagriti Abhiyan.
In the Kisan Panchayat today at Ghoorpur, Prayagraj, Allahabad, there was a massive outpour of support to the farmers’ movement’s demands. Women demanded an increase in workdays under MGNREGS to 200 days in addition to increase in wage rates to Rs.500, plus an increase in PDS food rations. Several thousand peasants and workers joined this Kisan Panchayat today in a massive show of strength from the trans-Jamuna area of Ganga-Jamuna belt of eastern Uttar Pradesh, bordering Bundelkhand and Madhya Pradesh.
Preparatory meetings are happening in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha and other states. A motorcycle rally has been organised today in Patna. A planning meeting took place in Giridih yesterday. In Kurukshetra’s Ismailabad, there was a large Kisan Mahapanchayat organised yesterday.
This movement has been strengthened by extraordinary individuals joining it with passion and grit. In Rudrapur of Uttarakhand, a committed protestor, Shri Satpal Singh Thukral had walked to and from Tikri Border barefoot, to pay homage to the martyred farmers in the current agitation. Shri Thukral had vowed that until the Government repeals the 3 black laws, he will walk barefoot, and will also not consume any grains. He has been consuming only milk and fruits from February 27th, in fact. SKM salutes his spirit and commitment.
From the time this movement started, many BJP leaders and workers have boldly voiced their support to the movement, and some have even walked out of the party, or raised their voice until they were expelled from the party. In a latest development, in Barnala of Punjab, a BJP Yuva Mandal President left the party and joined BKU Kadian, a farmers’ organisation of the state.