Bharat Bandh: Anna Hazare holds daylong fast at Ralegan-Siddhi to support farmers; here’s what he said

New Delhi: In a shock growth, 83-year-old social activist Kisan Baburao alias Anna Hazare on Tuesday (December 8) joined farmers` agitation by holding a daylong token starvation strike at his native village Ralegan-Siddhi in Ahmednagar. The agitating farmers have referred to as Bharat Bandh demanding the repeal of the Centre’s new farm legal guidelines.

In a recorded message, Hazare mentioned the agitation ought to unfold throughout the nation in order that the federal government comes below stress to behave within the pursuits of cultivators. He additionally appreciated farmers’ protests on the borders of Delhi saying no violence has taken place within the final 10 days of the agitation.

“I appeal to the people of the country that the agitation which is going on in Delhi should spread across the country. The situation needs to created to create pressure on the government, and to achieve this, farmers need to hit the streets. But no one should resort to violence,” Hazare informed PTI. 

Anna Hazare mentioned this was the “right time” for farmers to come back out on the streets and get their points resolved, including “I had backed this cause earlier also, and will continue to do so.” 

He additionally expressed the necessity to grant autonomy to the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and to implement the suggestions of the M S Swaminathan Commission.

The social activist warned of an agitation if the federal government fails to grant autonomy to the CACP and implement suggestions of the Swaminathan Commission, including “The government only gave assurances but never fulfilled these demands.”

Live TV

Notably, the `Bharat Bandh` is supported by the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party, Congress, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Vikas Aghadi, most Dalit events, the CPI, CPM and different Leftist events, a number of college students organisations and college students of main educational establishments, the Trade Unions Joint Action Committee with scores of commerce unions, together with all financial institution unions within the state, in addition to many different large and small teams with workers within the commerce and commerce sectors.

The state`s opposition BJP and its allies, nonetheless, have stored off the shutdown and accused all the opposite events of deceptive the farmers and other people.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut reiterated that this isn’t “a political bandh”, and requested the BJP to assist the farmers` trigger as an alternative of making an attempt to mislead the folks of the nation.

The `Bharat Bandh` has evoked a great response in Maharashtra on Tuesday, particularly in rural and semi-rural areas, with no reviews of any violence, organisers and officers mentioned.

Shiv Sena chief Kishore Tiwari, Sena Minister Abdul Sattar, SSS chief Raju Shetti, NCP leaders Jayant Patil, Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat, All India Kisan Sabha leaders Ashok Dhawale and Ajit Nawale, aside from CPI-CPM leaders termed the shutdown “successful”.

The Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress organised demonstrations in Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, and different cities to specific solidarity with the farmers agitating on the Delhi borders.

In a novel present of assist, numerous gurdwaras and Punjabi associations organised human chains between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, in addition to holding a automobile rally.

Several events got here collectively to carry a bike rally in Thane, but it surely was scuttled halfway by the police on the bottom that it hampered visitors.

Notably, emergency companies had been exempted and banks, too, continued operations because the pan-India shutdown, backed by most opposition events and plenty of commerce unions, got here into impact with the utmost influence anticipated in states resembling Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi, the epicenter of the snowballing protests.

Security was stepped up throughout the nation, noisy demonstrations had been held in lots of locations and the numbers swelled at Delhi’s border factors the place hundreds of farmers have been tenting for the final 11 days. Protesters blocked railway tracks at a number of locations in West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha.

From the Rajasthan capital Jaipur, the place ‘mandis’ had been closed however outlets open, there have been reviews of clashes between employees of the state’s ruling Congress and the BJP. However, the protest was largely peaceable in different components of the nation. 

The three contentious legal guidelines on the centre of the farmer protests are the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. 

(With Agency Inputs)