Farmer unions have called for a Bharat Bandh on March 26, commemorating four months of their protests against the Centre's three farm bills, that were passed last year. Recently, the farmers observed the 100th day of their ongoing protest and said the protests will go on unless the laws are repealed.
"We will observe a complete Bharat bandh on March 26, when our protest against the three farm laws completes four months. The peaceful bandh will remain effective from morning till evening," farmer leader Buta Singh Burjgill told reporters at the Singhu border, on March 10.
Singh mentioned that along with farmers, trade unions will also protest the hike in fuel prices and privatisation of railways on March 15.
On March 19, the farmers will observe "Mandi Bachao-Kheti Bachao" day, he said. The farmer unions have also decided to celebrate ‘Shaheedi divas’ of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, Burjgill added. Farmers leaders also said that copies of the new farm laws will be burnt during ‘Holika Dahan’ on March 28.
In a bid to spread their message to other states, in February, many farmer mahapanchayat and visits were organized, along with continued protests at protesting at the borders of Delhi.
Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at the Delhi border points- Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur- for over four months, demanding the repeal of farm laws and a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.
The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the MSP system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporations.
However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring better opportunities to farmers and introduce new technologies in agriculture.
(With inputs from PTI)
