Bharat bandh: Workers, farmers hold protests across state, people feel the heat

Shimla, February 16

Farmers and workers held protests at district and block headquarters across the state today in response to the Bharat bandh call given by the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha. At some places, people faced inconvenience due to closure of shops and blocked road.

“Protests have held at around 50 places across the state in support of the demands of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and the ongoing farmer protest,” said Kuldeep Tanwar, president of the Himachal Kisan Sabha, here today. “The Centre has been dragging its feet over the demands like MSP, implementation of the recommendation of the Swaminathan Commission, pension for farmers, debt waiver, etc. Besides, we have state specific issues as well related to four-lane projects, SJVN projects, etc,” said Tanwar.

Centre not fulfilling demands

The Centre has been dragging its feet over the demands like MSP, implementation of the recommendation of the Swaminathan Commission, pension for farmers, debt waiver, etc. Besides, we have state-specific issues as well related to four-lane projects, SJVN projects, etc. —Kuldeep Tanwar, President, Himachal Kisan Sabha

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Vijender Mehra, state CITU president, said it was for the first time that the protest was held in all 12 districts of the state. “It’s the first time we held a protest in the district of Lahaul and Spiti, at Kaza and Tabo,” said Mehra. The major protests were held in Shimla, Rampur, Rohru, Solan, Baddi, Nalagarh, Darlaghat, Jogindernagar, Kullu, Hamirpur, Una and Dharamsala.

Mehra and other leaders leading the protest in Shimla said that the Narendra Modi government had brought in anti-worker labour code, 12-hour duty norm and fixed term and multi-task employment in the name of ease of doing business. “It will make capitalists, industrialists and corporate houses richer and the poor more poor,” he said.

In upper Shimla, the Theog market remained closed for two hours and the road was blocked at Neerath in Rampur for over two hours by protesters.