The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has announced a Gramin Bharat Bandh for February 16 from 6 am to 4 pm, amid the ongoing farmers’ protest at the Delhi borders. With a focus on rural areas, all agricultural activities will come to a halt during this period. The closure extends to shops, markets, and businesses across villages, bolstered by widespread support from workers’ unions, Left parties, and the Congress.
Distinguishing itself from the ongoing agitation on the Punjab-Haryana border, this bandh, while initiated by separate entities, shares common ground for farmer rights. The decision to call for the bandh followed the recent ‘Delhi Chalo’ movement, spearheaded by SKM splinter group Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, where farmers faced tear gas shells near Ambala and Jind as they tried to break past police barricades set up by the Haryana Police to stop them from heading to the national capital.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political), alongside the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, has rallied for solidarity among farmer organizations, emphasising collective participation in the bandh. A chakka jam is planned from 12 pm to 4 pm, with major roads set to witness farmer presence nationwide.
Essential services including ambulance operations, medical facilities, and students commuting for board exams will not be affected during the strike, the organisation said.
Security measures have been significantly increased at Delhi’s borders. Police have erected barricades and suspended internet services in various districts of Haryana, while Section 144 has been implemented in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh borders to maintain public order.
Multiple layers of barricades, fortified with concertina wires, nails, and substantial concrete obstacles, now line the entry points into the national capital. These measures, coupled with traffic restrictions, have resulted in considerable difficulty for commuters traveling between Delhi and neighboring towns within the NCR (National Capital Region).
The unified demands across both protests demand the implementation of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all crops based on the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, alongside legal guarantees of MSP and debt waivers. Comprehensive crop insurance, a substantial hike in pensions to ₹10,000 per month, no hike in electricity tariff, no smart meters and free 300 units of power are some of their other demands.
The Congress’ promise of legal MSP guarantees, if elected, has sparked a debate, with the BJP questioning its failure to implement the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations during its tenure in 2010.