Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 7: Jammu Kashmir based transporters and various organizations have extended their support to the call for Bharat Bandh by the farmers, who are protesting for repeal of new agri-marketing laws, recently passed by Modi Government in the Parliament.
Announcing their active support, Chairman of All J&K Transport Welfare Association, T S Wazir said that all modes of public transport will remain off the road during Bharat Bandh tomorrow.
“We have also decided to hold a demonstration near Bikram Chowk Jammu in support of the agitating farmers,” he added.
Several social and political organizations, including Congress and other opposition parties have also extended their support to the call for Bharat Bandh.
Seeking immediate withdrawal of the alleged anti-farmers laws, Sikh United Front held an emergency meeting under the chairmanship of S Sudershan Singh Wazir, who extended full support to Bharat Bandh call by farmers on December 8.
He said it is a fight for all “Annadatas” in the country and the black laws must be withdrawn. “The new farm laws would destroy agriculture by mortgaging it to corporate,” he said and made a fervent appeal to the people of J&K, particularly and all over India generally to extend their full support to the farmers cause, who, he said, have waged a decisive battle for justice against an autocratic and arrogant regime.
The Jammu and Kashmir State Committee of Kisan Sabha has also extended support to the agitation of farmers launched by the All India Kisan Sangharash Coordination Committee in protest against the anti-farmer bills got passed by the Modi Govt in Parliament ignoring the great resentment against these bills in the country.
Decision in this regard was taken during a meeting presided over by its president Hari Chand Jalmeria, who termed these Bills as anti-people and anti-farmers in the long run.
Supporting the call for Bharat Bandh, Sunil Dimple, president of Mission Statehood Jammu Kashmir, led a protest rally along with some Sikh farmers and transporters on Amphalla- New Plot -Janipur High Court road.
Sunil Dimple said that the Mission Statehood Jammu Kashmir will fully support the “Bharat Band Call on 8th December and will join the nation wide agitation till farmers get justice.
Meanwhile, a nationwide strike on Tuesday called by agitating farmer unions to press for repeal of the Centre’s agri laws is likely to have an impact in some Northern States after several trade unions extended support to it even as the farmer leaders said that no one should be forced to join the shutdown.
With almost all opposition parties too backing the ‘Bharat Bandh’ and many announcing parallel protests in support of the farmers, the Centre has issued an advisory directing all the states and Union Territories to tighten security and ensure peace is maintained. The railways too asked its personnel to step up vigil saying protesters may organise rail blockades in 16 states.
Appealing to everyone to join the “symbolic” bandh, farmer leaders said they will block key roads during their ‘chakka jam’ protest from 11 am to 3 pm as part of their stir, which has drawn people from northern states especially Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi since the last 12 days.
“Our bandh is different from that of political parties. It is a four-hour symbolic bandh for an ideological cause. We want that there should be no problem to the common people. We appeal to them not to travel during this period,” farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said.
“We also urge shopkeepers to shut their outlets during this period,” he said.
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