BHARAT Bandh observed by and large peacefully with farmers remaining peaceful
Ebangla Bureau
Pranab Kumar Chakravarty
BHARAT BANDH called to support the farmers’ cause for four hours from 1100 IST on Tuesday, December 8 evoked mixed response across the country with reports received from some states alleging disruption of train services by activists of political parties in Bengal and some other states. Banking services were impacted due to employees belonging to various banks employees’ unions supporting the agitation. The political parties who supported Bharat Bandh were INC , TRS, SP,BSP , the Left, AAP ,NCP, Shiv Sena , RJD , DMK and the trade unions and students organisations affiliated to them saying the three farm laws being implemented by the Central Government are harmful to the farming community. Delhi’s ruling AAP had alleged that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was put under house arrest since he had gone out of the way to personally emphasize with the agitating farmers at Singhu Border on December 7.The Delhi Police has rubbished the accusation saying he is free to go anywhere he likes. BJP tweets BB has ‘’FLOPPED’’ in the Union Territory. He does not want to come out to face the people.
In West Bengal, the ruling TMC has extended wholehearted support to the agitating farmers with the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to repeal the law or quit. Despite the TMC opposing the BB, life was affected in North Bengal due to a 12-hour Bandh called by the BJP to protest against alleged killing of Ulen Roy, while he was participating in the party’s march towards Uttar Kanya in Siliguri on Monday, December 7.Nabanna has denied the allegation that he was killed by a police firing. There was no firing or lathi charge. Congress and the Left supported the BB in West Bengal. In several stations, they stopped train movement. Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) representing seven crore small, marginal and middle traders claimed there was no effect on transport and businesses all over the nation due to the Bharat Bandh. Telangana Chief Minister and supremo of the ruling TRS Chandra Sekhar Rao led protest in Hyderabad against the farm laws and blocked Hyderabad -Mumbai Highway. CAIT said wholesale and retail markets in Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh,Chhitsgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu,Bihar , Jharkhand and the North-east functioned as usual. ’We support the Kisans but are not to opposed the farms,‘’ CAIT President BC Bharatia and Secretary General Pravin Khandelwal, said in a joint statement. AIR INDIA says that people who are unable to reach the airport due to disturbance owing to the strike ,will be allowed one free date change for travel on 8 December and no-show charges will be waived off. Swabhiman Shetkari Saghtana staged a ‘Bharat Bandh Rail Roko’ protest and briefly stopped a train in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district. They were later removed from the tracks and detained.
