Punjab bandh: A farmer leader of the Kisan Mazdoor Sanghrash Committee, said that a statewide bandh for Punjab has been called for December 30. Speaking to the media, Sarvan Singh Pandher said the bandh has garnered support from several unions and groups across the state. The bandh will be effective from 7 am to 4 pm, he added. Speaking further, the farmer leader said government and private offices in Punjab will remain closed, and there will be disruptions in rail movement and road traffic as well. However, emergency services will remain operational, he said
Pander said traders, transporters, employees unions, toll plaza workers, labour, ex-servicemen, Sarpanches and teachers' unions, social and other bodies, and some other sections have lent their support to the bandh. Besides, common people are also supporting it.
Why has bandh been called?
Pandher confirmed that these actions are part of their ongoing protest and are aimed at raising their demands. This bandh will force the Centre to accept the demands of farmers, the farmer leader said as he slammed the union government for failing to accept the demands of farmers, he added. The decision to give a call for a 'Punjab bandh' was taken last week by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha. To ensure the success of the bandh, SKM (Non-political) and KMM convened a meeting of transporters, employees, traders and others at the Khanauri protest site on Thursday.
Farmers' protest and their demands
Besides a legal guarantee on the MSP for crops, the farmers are demanding a debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in the electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence. Farmers under the banner of SKM (Non-Political) and KMM have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
A "jatha" (group) of 101 farmers made three attempts to enter Delhi on foot on December 6, December 8 and again on December 14. They were not allowed to proceed by security personnel in Haryana. Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal (70) has been sitting on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border since November 26 to put pressure on the Centre to accept the farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP).
(With inputs from agencies)
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