OPPOSITION COMES OUT IN SUPPORT OF BHARAT BANDH ON 8 DECEMBER

The deadlock between protesting farmers and the Central government failed to end as the third round of talks remained inconclusive. The sources had said the government was willing to amend the farm laws, but the farmers remained adamant on the scrapping of the laws altogether. The farmers said that they want the farm laws to be withdrawn.

The government has called for another round of talks and the two sides have agreed to meet again on Wednesday. However, farmers’ leaders said that they would carry on with the proposed Bharat Bandh on 8 December, and appealed people to come out in large numbers to make it a big success.

Meanwhile, Opposition leaders from several parties, including the Congress, the DMK, the RJD, the Samajwadi Party, and even J&K’s new political entity People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration issued a joint statement in support of Tuesday’s Bharat Bandh. In their statement they said: “(We) extend our solidarity with the ongoing massive struggle by Indian farmers… and support their call for a Bharat Bandh on December 8, demanding the withdrawal of retrograde agri-laws and the Electricity Amendment Bill.”

“These new agri-laws passed in the Parliament in a brazen (and) anti-democratic manner (by) preventing a structured discussion and voting, threaten India’s food security, destroy Indian agriculture and our farmers, lay the basis for the abolishment of MSP and mortgage Indian agriculture and our markets to the caprices of multi-national agri-business corporates,” it added.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, the DMK’s M.K. Stalin, NCP’s Sharad Pawar, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and SP’s Akhilesh Yadav signed this statement.

National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah (for the PAGD), along with a number of Left parties—CPI(M), CPI(ML), Forward Bloc and RSP, also expressed support for the bandh.

On Sunday morning Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also tweeted in support of the farmers and the Bharat Bandh, saying that all members of the ruling AAP would participate in the shutdown.

Telangana’s ruling TRS also backed the bandh, with Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao extending “total support” and urging farmers to continue protests till all three laws are repealed.

In West Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress said it would extend “moral support” to farmers and stage sit-ins in various areas in the state for three days. 

Apart from political parties, the bandh has also been backed by a joint forum of trade unions, including the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), and the Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS).

Farmers’s leaders and the Centre met on Saturday for a fifth round of talks that again ended in a stalemate. A sixth round has been scheduled for Wednesday.

WITH AGENCY INPUT