Farmers’ call for Bharat Bandh over Centre’s new laws: Mixed response to stir in Maharashtra

In Maharashtra, the bandh was symbolically supported by 48 trade unions, labour organisations and social organisations under a joint action task force, Jan Andolanachi Sangharsha Samiti. Besides, all three ruling parties – the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and Congress – supported it

Tuesday’s Bharat Bandh, called by farmers in protest against the Centre’s new farm laws, got a mixed response across the state, with the normal life remaining largely unaffected. Shops in some parts of Mumbai downed their shutters, amid tight police security on the streets, after political parties peacefully rallying through the city asked them to support the country-wide bandh.

Protesters block the highway at Mankhurd as part of Tuesday’s Bharat Bandh call by farmers. (Satish Bate/HT Photo)

In Maharashtra, the bandh was symbolically supported by 48 trade unions, labour organisations and social organisations under a joint action task force, Jan Andolanachi Sangharsha Samiti. Besides, all three ruling parties – the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and Congress – supported it. This is the first time the three parties that allied to form the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state joined hands to stage protest over an issue. In Mumbai, NCP and Congress workers were seen rallying together in some places.

Many parts of south-central Mumbai, including the busy area of Dadar Terminus, retail and wholesale markets of Dadar East and West, Wadala and Matunga wore a deserted look. The BrihanMumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) in the evening stated they had run buses to their full capacity. Black-and-yellow taxis, autorickshaws, local and outstation trains also continued to run. While the agricultural produce market committee (APMC) markets at Navi Mumbai remained closed, supply of essential items such as milk and vegetables was not hit. All nationalised and private banks were open, even though bank employees’ unions supported the bandh.

Ajit Navale, Maharashtra general secretary of All India Kisan Sabha, said, “The bandh received good response in Maharashtra. Road blocks were organised by farmers in various parts of Maharashtra, including Kalvan, Nashik, and closer to Mumbai at Thane, and Palghar. Major fruit and vegetable markets at Ahmednagar, Ale Phata on Pune-Nashik highway and APMC in Navi Mumbai also remained closed.”

The Congress staged a statewide agitation, led by Maharashtra revenue minister and Congress state president Balasaheb Thorat. Other Congress leaders, including public works minister Ashok Chavan, energy minister Nitin Raut, animal husbandry and dairy development minister Sunil Kedar, minister of state for agriculture Vishwajeet Kadam, state Congress working president Muzaffar Hussain, Mumbai Congress president Eknath Gaikwad, were also present.

Sanjay Raut, chief spokesperson of Shiv Sena, said, “It is not a political bandh. It is to show solidarity with farmers who have been protesting for the past 12 days. Participating in the bandh is voluntary, and no one is being forced to support it.”

Suyog Yadav, taluka president of NCP Youth Congress, said, “We have been peacefully rallying in south-central Mumbai on Tuesday morning, and requesting shops to be shut. We have done rounds of Wadala, Sewri and Dadar.”

Around 50 protesters from the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, a farmers’ union based in Kolhapur, organised a rail roko agitation at Malkapur railway station in Buldhana district at 6.50am. The protesters blocked the railway tracks, but were removed by the railway protection force, government railway police and local police.

The joint action task force also plans indefinite sit-in protests at three places in Maharashtra, along the lines of Shaheen Baug protests over the citizenship law in New Delhi. These are to be called Kisan Mazdur Baug, and are being organised at Pune, Nashik and Sangli, until farmers’ demands are met.