Farm law protesters call for Bharat Bandh on Sep 25

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, spearheading the anti-farm laws protests, on Friday called for a 'Bharat Bandh' on September 25.

The SKM said the move is aimed at further strengthening and expanding the farmers' agitation which began in November last year.

Addressing a press conference at Delhi's Singhu border, Ashish Mittal from SKM said ,"We are calling for a 'Bharat bandh' on September 25.

"This is happening after a similar 'bandh' was organised on the same date last year, and we hope that it would be more successful than the one last year which was held amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Mittal, who was also the convener of the all-India convention by farmers that concluded on Friday, said the two-day event was a success, and saw the participation of representatives from 22 states, of not just 300 farm unions, but also members of organisations that work for the welfare of women, labourers, tribals, as well as youth and students.

During the convention, discussions and deliberations took place on the farmers' struggle that has been going on for the last nine months, and it focused on making their agitation against the farm laws a pan-India movement.

"During the convention, it was discussed as to how the government has been pro-corporate and attacking the farming community.

"Our demands for repeal of all three pro-corporate farm laws, legal guarantee for MSP of all crops, repeal of Electricity Bill, 2021, no prosecution of farmers under the 'Commission of AQ Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas Bill 2021' were reiterated during the convention," Mittal said.

On Thursday, the farmers' protest against the three contentious laws completed nine months since they first arrived at the Delhi borders. The farmers have been demanding the repeal of the laws which they are afraid will do away with the MSP system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporations.

Over 10 rounds of talks with the government that has been projecting the laws as major agricultural reforms have failed to break the deadlock between the two parties.