Tomorrow, despite the obstruction of hundreds of farmers from Punjab near Ambala, the state’s border with Haryana, several farmer unions, including the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, have called for a nationwide strike, known as Gramin Bharat Bandh, on February 16.
Urging all farmers’ organizations with similar objectives to unite, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha advocates participation in the central trade union’s Gramin Bharat Bandh.
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This call for a Bharat Bandh coincides with the arrest of numerous farmers marching from Punjab towards the Haryana border, around 200 kilometers from Delhi. Haryana police have used tear gas to disperse them,
warning that they will not be permitted to enter the nation’s capital if they proceed. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha has encouraged farmers with similar goals to join the Bharat Bandh, scheduled from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on February 16.
What demands do farmers have?
The nationwide strike is expected to impact transportation, agriculture activities, rural employment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, private offices, village shops, and rural commercial and service sector institutions.
However, emergency services like ambulance rides, newspaper distribution, weddings, medical shops, and board exam preparations are unlikely to be affected.
Farmers are protesting in Punjab and Haryana, advocating for legislation ensuring a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their produce. Their demands include social security and pensions for all workers, strengthening the MGNREGS, and reinstating the previous pension plan.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the SKM has requested an MSP based on the Swaminathan formula, a legal procurement guarantee, debt forgiveness, no increase in electricity rates, and the removal of smart meters.
Additional demands include a pension increase to Rs 10,000 per month, comprehensive crop insurance, and 300 free units of power for farming and domestic use. The fate of the MSP panel appointed by the government after the 2021 farmers’ protest remains uncertain.
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