Samyukt Kisan Morcha gives ‘Bharat Bandh’ call on February 16, stays away from stir

Chandigarh, February 9

Distancing itself from the “Delhi Chalo” call by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha has given a clarion call to people from different sections of society for a Bharat Bandh on February 16.

In a press conference today, SKM leaders said there was a lot of enthusiasm among people regarding the call for Bharat Bandh on February 16 against the Modi government’s pro-corporate and anti-farmer and anti-employee policies.

“A massive mobilisation campaign is underway to make it a success. Today, farmers and labourers marched at the tehsil centres and appealed to people to make the bandh a success. Arhtiya associations, traders organisations, truck unions, private bus operators’ organisations have assured the SKM of their support,” said the leaders of the SKM, while briefing mediapersons.

The leaders of the SKM, Balbir Singh Rajewal, Buta Singh Burjgill, Raminder Singh Patiala, Jangveer Singh Chauhan, Mohan Singh Dhamana, Gurdarshan Singh Khaspur, Ranjit Singh, Prem Singh Bhangu, Mukesh Chandra, Harinder Singh Tiwana and Gaggi Dhaliwal, said 62 organisations were supporting the bandh apart from trade unions like the AITUC, INTUC, CITU, IFTU.

Clarifying about the call for the February 13 Dilli Chalo, the farm leaders said the SKM has given a call for Bharat Bandh on February 16, and it has no connection with the Dilli Chalo.

Taking the Centre’s announcement of a policy of public-private partnership in the post-harvest operations of the crop, which includes collection, storage, supply chain and processing, the leaders called this policy as an attempt to provide the backdoor entry of the corporate sector.

The farm leaders said they would demand debt waiver for farmers and farm labourers, MSP for crops to be based on C2 50 per cent formulas, legal guarantee for the MSP, repealing of hit-and-run law, no privatisation of power, railways and defence sectors and other PSUs, repealing four labour codes.