The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) is one of the farmer unions that has called for a nationwide protest on Friday, February 16, under the name Gramin Bharat Bandh, in order to pressure the government into granting their demands. To join the central trade unions in the Gramin Bharat Bandh on February 16, all similar farmer organisations have been urged by the SKM.
In spite of the call for Bharat bandh, hundreds of farmers marching from Punjab have been stopped at the border of the state with Haryana near Ambala, approximately 200 kilometers away from Delhi. Haryana security forces have used tear gas to disperse them, and the Delhi Police are resolute in preventing their entry into the national capital should they attempt to advance.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, a non-political entity, has called upon comparable farmer organizations to join forces and partake in the Bharat bandh. The day-long protest is slated to take place from 6 am to 4 pm. Various sectors, including transportation, agricultural activities, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) rural works, private offices, village shops, and rural industrial and service sector institutions, are expected to experience closures due to the nationwide strike by farmer unions on Friday, February 16.
Farmers in Punjab and Haryana have recommenced their protests, demanding legislation that ensures a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their agricultural produce. Moreover, they aim to strengthen the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGS), reinstate the previous pension scheme, and guarantee pension and social security for all workers in both formal and informal sectors.
The SKM has communicated their demands to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which include an MSP for crops based on the Swaminathan formula of C2 50 (input cost of capital 50 per cent), a legal guarantee of procurement, debt waiver, no increase in electricity tariff, and no implementation of smart meters. They have also advocated for free 300 units of power for farming, comprehensive crop insurance, and an increase in pensions to ₹10,000 per month, among other requests.
