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Updated March 17th, 2021 at 22:28 IST

Kisan Unions call for Bharat Bandh on March 26, to burn copies of Centre's Farm Laws

Demanding a complete rollback of the three farm laws introduced by the Centre last year, the unions have also held 11 rounds of discussions with the Centre

Reported by: Jitesh Vachhatani
Farmer protests
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In a bid to intensify the ongoing farmers' agitation against the three farm laws, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha on Wednesday met with different mass organisations and associations. The umbrella body of farm unions leading the agitation on borders of the national capital has called for a Bharat Bandh on March 26 in protest against the Centre. Demanding a complete rollback of the three farm laws introduced by the Centre last year, the unions have also held 11 rounds of discussions with the Union Government which have been stalled since the violent tractor protests on January 26. 

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Ranjit Raju of Ganganagar Kisan Samiti said that during the 'Sampurna Bharat Bandh' on March 26, all shops and other business establishments will remain shut for 12 hours. The date also marks four months since the agitation began at Ghazipur, Singur and Tikri. 

Farmers to block Delhi-Noida highway

The agitating Kisan unions have also announced that the protestors will burn copies of the three farm laws on the occasion of 'Holika Dehan'. According to farmer leaders, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha's call for the bandh had found support in trade unions from organised and unorganised sectors, traders and arhtiya associations, workers' unions, including agricultural workers unions, transporter associations, teachers' associations, youth and students associations. 

The unions have also warned that they would block the Delhi-Noida border complete in order to up the ante against the Centre. The leaders also announced their plans to organise a "Shaheed Yadgar Kisan Mazdoor Padyatra" between March 18 and 23.

In an attempt to ensure that the bandh is observed across the country, the unions have also been trying to hold meetings at the state-level. All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) leader Krishna Prasad has said that the bandh will be held at 'state, zila, tehsil and village levels,' as per PTI. The AIKS leader also expressed concern over the Centre's move to introduce the Electricity Amendment Bill 2021, claiming that any amendments made to the act would be in violation of the commitment made by the government to the farmers in January. This comes after the Centre during its discussions with the farmers had promised to accept their demands over the electricity bill. 

Unions form panel to resume talks

Ending the hiatus in discussions with the Centre over the three farm laws, nearly 32 farmers' unions have decided to form a panel to resume the talks with the Union government. The panel which has been constituted comprises 9 members and will lead the negotiations with the Centre which had taken a hit after the violent tractor rally on January 26. Farmers continue to protest against the three farm laws at the borders of the national capital for over 100 days now. 

Earlier, farmers' unions led by the Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) agitating at the borders had refused to hold talks with the Supreme Court-constituted panel to mediate between the Centre and the farmers. The Centre had offered unions to put off the three laws for 1.5 years to hold clause wise deliberations in the 11th round of discussions, which was rejected by the farm unions as well. On January 12, the Supreme Court had on January 12 stayed the implementation of the three contentious farm laws for two months and asked the committee to submit a report after consulting the stakeholders. 

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Published March 17th, 2021 at 22:28 IST

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