The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) will hold nationwide protests against the new farm Bills on Friday. The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), All India Kisan Mahasangh (AIKM) and 10 other trade and farmer unions have come on a common platform and announced a nationwide shutdown on September 25 saying the BJP government should stop anti-farmers measures.
Protests are already taking place in Punjab and Haryana since the Bills were introduced in Lok Sabha on September 14, 2020, by Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar.
Rakesh Tikait, the president of BKU said that over 100 farmer unions will take part in the protests on September 25. Farmers in Uttar Pradesh will jam their respective villages, towns and highways. In Haryana, it is planned to be completely closed. We are planning to involve local shopkeepers and will come out with a final strategy on September 24, he also said.
Farmers' organisations from Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have come in support of the Bandh. The Ola Cab Drivers' Association and lorry drivers' association too have decided to support the farmers and are unlikely to operate on Friday.
Different farmer organisations in Punjab have already given a call for a 'bandh' on September 25 in protest against the Bills. A farmers' body will hold 'rail roko' agitation from Thursday till Saurday to lodge their protest against the three agriculture ordinances passed by the Union Cabinet.
"We have decided to hold a rail roko agitation from September 24 to 26 against the three agriculture ordinances," said Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee General Secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher.
The Congress began its nearly two-month-long nationwide agitation from Thrsday, against the passage of the farm Bills during the monsoon session of Parliament.
Senior Congress leader AK Antony, in a meeting, had said, "The Congress is launching an agitation against the government for passing the anti-farmer and anti-people laws."
Senior Congress leader Ahmad Patel who was also present in the meeting, said, "The government has destroyed the democratic system. The agricultural bills are neither in the interest of the state government nor the farmers. We raised our voice against this in Parliament will now take to the streets."
The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bills were passed during the Monsoon Session of Parliament amid widespread opposition from several quarters including from the Shiromani Akali Dal, one of BJP's oldest allies.
