Bharat Bandh on December 8: Latest developments you need to know on farmers' protest in Delhi

File Photo (ANI)

New Delhi: The farmers' protests on the borders in the national capital against the new farm laws is going to further intensify as several political parties on Sunday (December 6, 2020) extended their support for the 'Bharat Bandh' on December 8. 

The call for the Bharat Bandh by the farmer unions comes amid their several meetings with the Centre that couldn't break the deadlock. The farmers have camped outside as many as five borders across Delhi from the past 10 days demanding the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the Centre to repeal the three farm reforms.

The Centre, however, has urged farmers to end stir citing COVID-19 and cold weather and called for the sixth round of talks with farmers' representatives of over 40 unions on December 9.

The reason behind the widespread protests is these three new laws - 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.

According to the Centre, the new agricultural reforms have given farmers new options and new legal protection. 

"Earlier, transactions outside the market were illegal. Now the small farmer can also take legal action on every deal that is out of the market. The farmer has now got new options and legal protection from fraud," PM Modi had said recently.

नए कृषि सुधारों से किसानों को नए विकल्प और नए कानूनी संरक्षण दिए गए हैं।

पहले मंडी के बाहर हुए लेनदेन ही गैरकानूनी थे।

अब छोटा किसान भी, मंडी से बाहर हुए हर सौदे को लेकर कानूनी कार्यवाही कर सकता है।

किसान को अब नए विकल्प भी मिले हैं और धोखे से कानूनी संरक्षण भी मिला है: PM — PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 30, 2020

PM Modi said that the farmers are being empowered by giving them options for a bigger market and reforms are being done in the interest of farmers, which will give them more options. 

The Prime Minister stated that India's agricultural products are famous all over the world and asked, "Shouldn't a farmer get the freedom to sell his produce directly to those who give them better prices and facilities."

भारत के कृषि उत्पाद पूरी दुनिया में मशहूर हैं।

क्या किसान की इस बड़े मार्केट और ज्यादा दाम तक पहुंच नहीं होनी चाहिए?

अगर कोई पुराने सिस्टम से ही लेनदेन ही ठीक समझता है तो, उस पर भी कहां रोक लगाई गई है?: PM — PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 30, 2020

The Prime Minister said that earlier, the MSP was declared, but a very meagre MSP purchase used to take place. "This deception went on for years. Large loan waiver packages were announced in the name of farmers, but they did not reach the small and marginal farmers. He added big schemes were announced in the name of farmers but earlier regimes themselves believed that out of 1 rupee, only 15 paisa reached the farmer, which is deceit in the name of schemes," said PM.

PM Modi also said that the government is constantly answering the farmers who still have some concerns and questions. "I am confident, farmers who have some doubts on agricultural reforms today, will also take advantage of these agricultural reforms in future and increase their income," expressed the Prime Minister.

जिन किसान परिवारों की अभी भी कुछ चिंताएं हैं, कुछ सवाल हैं, तो उनका जवाब भी सरकार निरंतर दे रही है।

मुझे विश्वास है, आज जिन किसानों को कृषि सुधारों पर कुछ शंकाएं हैं, वो भी भविष्य में इन कृषि सुधारों का लाभ उठाकर, अपनी आय बढ़ाएंगे: PM — PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 30, 2020

On the other hand, the agitating farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave a way for the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates. They are demanding the Centre to either withdraw the three legislations or guarantee them on MSP on their crops by passing a new law framed after wider consultation with the stakeholders.

"The government wants to make amendments to the three laws, but we want the laws to be completely repealed," Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait had told PTI.

Earlier on December 4, Harinder Singh Lakhwal, general secretary of BKU said that they have decided to occupy all toll plazas and have planned to block all roads leading to Delhi in the coming days if the farm laws are not scrapped.

Know who all have lent support to shutdown call by farmer unions:

1. The most recent support to the Bharat Bandh call has come up from the Shiv Sena. The Rajya Sabha MP and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut tweeted on Sunday evening saying that his party supports the Bharat Bandh and also urged the people of the country to participate voluntarily.

देश के किसानों द्वारा पुकारे गए राष्ट्रव्यापी बंद को शिवसेना का समर्थन!
किसान अन्नदाता हैं,इसलिए उनके प्रति हमारी नैतिक जिम्मेदारी के नाते देश की जनता को भी किसानों के बंद में स्वेच्छा से हिस्सा लेना चाहिए।शिवसेना किसानों की मांगों और 8 दिसंबर के भारत बंद में उनके साथ है
जय हिंद! pic.twitter.com/lcgVcLEIqJ — Sanjay Raut (@rautsanjay61) December 6, 2020

2. The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav has also extended 'full support' to farmers' Bharat Bandh. He will also have a 'Kisan Yatra' on December 7 and will take a tractor journey with farmers from Uttar Pradesh's Thathiya's Mandi to Kisan Bazaar in Kannauj.

किसानों के ‘भारत बंद’ को सपा का पूर्ण समर्थन! — Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) December 6, 2020

‘किसान-यात्रा’ : 7 दिसंबर, 2020

समय : 11 बजे.

विशिष्ट किसान मंडी, ठठिया से किसान बाज़ार, मेडिकल कॉलेज तिर्वा, कन्नौज तक।

आइए किसानों की आय में वृद्धि की माँग के लिए, भाजपा सरकार की शोषणकारी नीतियों के ख़िलाफ़, हम सब अपने किसान-बंधुओं के समर्थन मे एकजुट हों! #नहीं_चाहिए_भाजपा — Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) December 6, 2020

3. The Congress has also supported the Bharat Bandh on December 8 and said that its leader Rahul Gandhi has been on the forefront in opposing these laws through signature campaigns and tractor rallies in Punjab and Haryana in the past. Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "Congress Party stands as one with our Farmers & Farm Labourers in the 8th December ‘Bharat Bandh’. Drunk with power, an arrogant BJP Govt can’t hear the anguish nor feel the pain of India’s ‘Annadata’!" 

Congress Party stands as one with our Farmers & Farm Labourers in the 8th December ‘Bharat Bandh’.

Drunk with power, an arrogant BJP Govt can’t hear the anguish nor feel the pain of India’s ‘Annadata’!

INC will fight the arrogance of Modi & his miniature version in Karnataka! — Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) December 6, 2020

4. The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also announced to support the Bharat Bandh call.

8 दिसंबर को किसानों द्वारा किए गए भारत बंद के आह्वान का आम आदमी पार्टी पूरी तरह से समर्थन करती है। देश भर में आम आदमी पार्टी के कार्यकर्ता शांतिपूर्ण तरीक़े से इसका समर्थन करेंगे। सभी देशवासियों से अपील है की सब लोग किसानो का साथ दें और इसमें हिस्सा लें https://t.co/xNseuxjtFO — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) December 6, 2020

5. The Telangana Chief Minister and TRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao has also supported the Bharat Bandh call against the new agriculture laws. In a statement, KCR appealed to party workers to make the December 8 bandh called by farmers successful in Telangana.

Several famous faces from the film, sports and music fraternities have also come out in the support of the farmers' protests.

Earlier in the day, boxer Vijender Singh who has won several medals for India at the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games joined the farmers' protests at the Singhu border and expressed his solidarity. Singh also said that he will return his Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award if the new agriculture laws are not rolled back.