Bharat Bandh: Farmers’ Nationwide Strike Today From 11 AM; Here Are 10 Things To Know

As the Central government has failed to provide a solution to farmers who have been protesting for the past 11 days, they have called for a nationwide strike. The 'Bharat Bandh' will begin at 11 AM and continue till 3 PM. Here's more about it.

New Delhi: As the fifth round of talks with the government failed, farmers have called a Bharat Bandh on Tuesday. The nationwide strike called by the farmers against the farm laws will begin today from 11 am and continue till 3 pm. The protests will not affect essential services but as some taxi unions are also joining the bandh commuters may face some difficulties.

The next round of talks between the government and the protesting farmers is scheduled to take place on Wednesday. The farmers are protesting against the 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.

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Here’s what you need to know

• Essential services will not be curtailed and office-goers will be able to move freely.


• Farmer leaders have said they will block key roads during their 'chakka jam' protest from 11 AM to 3 PM as part of their stir.


• It is a four-hour symbolic bandh for an ideological cause. We want that there should be no problem to the common people. We appeal to them not to travel during this period, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said.

•  The Delhi Taxi Tourist Transporters Association has come out in support of the Bharat. Various taxi and bus operator associations from Delhi had marched to the Singhu border on Sunday to express solidarity with the agitating farmers. Commuters could face problems because of this


• The All India Transporters Welfare Association (AITWA) today said that the transport sector will function as usual.


• Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport or BEST buses will not be part of the ‘Bharat Bandh’ and will remain operational on December 8.


• The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and the All India Transport Welfare Association (AITWA) are not supporting the Bandh but have appealed to the government to resolve farmers' issues.

• Bank services are likely to be affected on Tuesday, December 8. A number of bank unions have offered their support to the farmers. In a statement, the All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) said that the government should come forward and resolve their demands in the interest of the nation and farmers.

• Different parties such as the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, DMK, Nationalist Congress Party, CPI, CPI-M, CPI-ML, RSP, AIFB and Telangana Rashtra Samithi have extended their support to the Bandh. However, the Trinamool Congress, which has also opposed the laws and have supported the protest has decided not to go with the Bharat Bandh call. The BSP and Shiv Sena have also supported the bandh.


• On Monday, Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was arrested and taken away by the Uttar Pradesh Police. He was detained by Lucknow police over a violation of section 144 as he tried to hold a rally from Lucknow to Kannauj to demonstrate his support for the farmers.


• Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has also extended his support to the Bharat Bandh call and assured that his party workers and supporters would participate in the 'peaceful' protests. Kejriwal made the announcement while visiting the Singhu border on the Delhi-Haryana border.


• UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has slammed the opposition for misleading the farmers over new agriculture laws. Yogi said Some political parties are trying to spoil the atmosphere, especially the present stand taken by them on the model APMC Act shows their double standards.
  He said that the opposition parties, double standards have been exposed. "The Centre has taken revolutionary steps in agricultural reforms that safeguard the interests of the farmers. But the opposition is trying to spread misinformation to mislead the farmers. During the UPA regime, all these parties had announced their support to the APMC Act, but now they have taken a U-turn," said Adityanath in a report by IANS.