Protesting Farmers Call for ‘Gramin Bharat Bandh’ Tomorrow

New Delhi: To increase pressure on the Centre to fulfil their demands, the protesting farmers gave a call for ‘Gramin Bharat Bandh’ on Friday.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), along with central trade unions have called for a Gramin Bharat Bandh nationwide strike on February 16 to press for their demands before the Centre. It urged all like-minded farmer organisations to unite and take part in the February 16 Gramin Bharat Bandh called by the central trade unions. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha requested all like-minded farmer organisations to unite and take part in the Bharat bandh. The day-long protest will be held from 6am to 4pm.

The agitating farmers of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) and BKU Dakaunda (Dhaner), began ‘rail roko’ at several places across Punjab on Thursday. Farmers blocked railway tracks at Mansa, Barnala and Rajpura.

Meanwhile, the representatives of the farmers are to hold talk with Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda and Nityananad Rai, in Chandigarh for the third time.

On Wednesday, at least 10 farmers were injured at the Shambhu border when security personnel fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowds.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s borders were further fortified, with security personnel deployed in large numbers and barricades laid out across all possible entry points.

The agitating farmers are seeking MSP (minimum support price) guarantee for 23 crops, waiver of their debts and withdrawal of cases registered against them during the 2020-21 farmers’ agitation.

Hundreds of farmers marching from Punjab were stopped near Ambala, about 200 kilometres away from Delhi. Haryana security forces used tear gas shells to disperse them.