Bharat Bandh Was A ‘Success’, Received Public Support: Tikait

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Monday termed Bharat Bandh’s call a “success” and claimed that the people supported the shutdown in large numbers.

A call for ‘Bharat Bandh’ was given by several farmer unions in protest against the three farm laws introduced by the Centre last year.
Speaking to ANI, Tikait said, “Bharat Bandh was a success and the public supported it. It is okay if the public experienced some inconvenience, let one day be in solidarity with farmers who have been experiencing troubles (protesting against farm laws at Delhi border) under the sun and heat for the last 10 months.”

“Heartfelt gratitude to the youth and businessmen including farmers, workers, students, employees and trade unions across the country, who supported the Bharat Bandh even after facing hardships, for making the Bharat Bandh unprecedented and historic,” he said.

The national capital today witnessed traffic snarls due to protests in different parts of the border areas.

Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a coalition of farmers’ unions, on Monday said its call for a ‘Bharat Bandh’ received an “unprecedented and historic” response from more than 23 states.

“Reports have been pouring in about the overwhelmingly positive and resounding response to the Bharat Bandh call put out by Samyukt Kisan Morcha, to mark 10 long months of peaceful protests with rightful demands from the ‘annadaatas’ of the country. Spontaneous participation from various sections of society was witnessed in most places. The Bandh was marked peacefully, without a single untoward incident reported from anywhere, from more than 23 states of India,” read the official release by the farmer organisation.

The bandh has garnered support from more than 500 farmer organisations, 15 trade unions, political parties, six state governments and varied sections of society.

State governments of Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Punjab, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh have extended their support to the Bharat Bandh protest.

Farmers have been protesting at different sites since November 26 last year against the three enacted farm laws: Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

Farmer leaders and the Centre have held several rounds of talks but the impasse remains. (ANI)