120th day, 26 March 2021: Samyukta Kisan Morcha congratulates all the farmers and labourers and the general public for the success of today's Bharat Bandh. Yudhveer Singh, the farmer leader who was there with the farmers of Gujarat, was arrested by the Gujarat Police, which we strongly condemn and oppose.
Today, the bandh was observed in many parts of the country. In more than 20 districts in Bihar, more than 200 places in Punjab and also in Haryana, people made the bandh a big success.
In Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh as well, the impact of the bandh was impressive. Started against three anti-farmer central farm laws and for the legal guarantee of MSP, the historic agitation of farmers on the borders of Delhi has crossed 4 months. Sustaining such a long movement is not only a matter of patience and hard work of the farmers, it is also a shame for the government. Despite extreme weather conditions, farmers stayed resolute, and continue to be in high spirits.
News related to Bharat Bandh started pouring in from all over the country in the morning. The impact of the Bharat Bandh was seen on a large scale in Bihar. The Bandh was observed in Patna, Bhojpur, Rohtas, Buxar, Gaya, Nawada, Sheikhpura, Nalanda, Purnia, Begusarai, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Siwan, Vaishali Samastipur, Sitamadi, Jehanabad, Arwal, Aurangabad, Jamui, West Champaran and other places. In Uttar Pradesh, roads and markets were closed at many places including Aligarh, Shamli, Moradabad, Etawah and Sambhal. Farmers' organizations in Kurnool and Vijayawada made this bandh a success. The impact of the Bharat Bandh was seen in Telangana at dozens of places including Warangal, Hanmakonda and Mehboobabad.
Farmers staged demonstrations in Mysore, Gulbarga, Mandya, Bellari and Bangalore in Karnataka. Copies of three agricultural laws were also burnt in Mysore in a funeral procession taken out for the three laws. Farmers in Odisha's Kendrapada and Bhadrak and elsewhere supported the Bharat Bandh. In Maharashtra too, the farmers contributed to the Bharat Bandh and in Palghar and Jalgaon the farmers kept the road blocked.
Farmers blocked roads at Bikaner, Sriganganagar, Kesari Singhpur, Anupgarh, Padampur, NH 62 and other places in Rajasthan. Farmers organised a program in Udham Singh Nagar of Uttrakhand on Bandh. In Ranchi and other districts of Jharkhand, farmers groups blocked various roads. There are reports of successful Bharat Bandh from almost every district in Haryana. Markets and other services in cities like Kurukshetra, Karnal, Sonipat, Yamunanagar, Ambala etc. remained suspended. In Punjab, Bharat Bandh programs were held in more than 200 places including Mansa, Amritsar, Moga, Ferozepur, Jalandhar.
Many political parties, bar associations, trade unions, student organizations, Democratic organizations, aadti associations, small traders, organizations fighting for social justice, social and religious organizations and conscious citizens supported this bandh and made every effort for it. Samyukta Kisan Morcha acknowledges this support and also the support extended by Trade Unions, Women's Organisations, Transporters' Associations and others.
Students of Panjab University and Punjab Agricultural University are actively serving in this movement. Today, the students took out a march on the call of the Bharat Bandh of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha. At the same time, the teachers union, student organizations and staff of Punjab Agricultural University supported today's Bharat Bandh.
During the Bharat Bandh program today, on 26 March, several Samyukta Kisan Morcha leaders and cadres were detained by the police in BJP-ruled states like Karnataka and Gujarat. This is a violation of the constitutional right of the citizens protesting peacefully, which the Supreme Court of India has also stated in the context of the protests of the present farmer’s movement.
Prominent leaders of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and BKU Tikait Yudhvir Singh, J.K. Patel, Gajendra Singh, Ranjit Singh and other colleagues were speaking at a press conference in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, where they were arrested by the police today. Kavitha Kuruganti, Kodihalli Chandrasekhar, Bayyareddy, trade union leaders and others were similarly picked up by police in Bangalore. Karnataka police also arrested many protesters in Gulbarga.
SKM strongly condemn and oppose this behaviour against peaceful protesters. SKM condemns the deployment of women police in civil clothes who were used to pick up scores of protesters in multiple rounds, at Town Hall in Bangalore. BJP ruled governments are brazenly violating basic norms and rules in their anxiety to suppress the farmer’s movement.
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Today, farmers at the protest sites around Delhi blocked roads and railway tracks. Many other people's organizations of Delhi, along with trade unions and other associations protested inside Delhi. In Mayapuri, Kalkaji and other places, concerned citizens organized symbolic protests.
Kisan Mazdoor Jagriti Yatra, which started from Uttarakhand, reached Gurudwara Nanak Bari Moradabad on 25 March. Today the Yatra was about to reach the Gurudwara Gud Ganga, but the plan was cancelled in Moradabad due to Bharat Bandh.
We have received information that during the bandh program today, some media personnel and common people had to face problems in some places. We are sorry if some protesters were involved in creating troubles. We regret the inconvenience caused.