Opposition Parties Support Bharat Bandh
The Farmers' protest on the borders of National Capital have announced the "Bharat Bandh" on 8 December, the following tuesday. The agitation of farmers and the indecisiveness of the talks with centre have culminated in this bandh. The bandh has been called by farmer unions gathered around Delhi to protest against the new farm laws issued by the government. The decision has mustered active support from the opposition parties and associations around the country. Several opposition leaders from Congress, DMK, RJD, Samajwadi Party and newly clustered People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration in J&K along with Left outfits promised strong backing to farmers.In the statement issued they declared that they extend their solidarity in favour of the massive struggles and protests by the farmers against unacceptable reforms in agri-laws and Electricity Amendment bill and hereby, affirms their support for Bharat Bandh on December 8. The protestors demand withdrawal of such laws attacking their livelihood and efforts. The statement highlighted that these new laws were passed in an anti-democratic manner, without any adherence to voting or discussion. The laws tend to threaten India's food security, destroy Indian agriculture and the lives of our farmers. They are laying foundations to mortgage Indian agriculture in hands of multinational agri-business corporations.
The opposition demanded that the government should abide by the procedures and norms of this democracy and meet "the legitimate demands of our farmers." Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi, the DMK's MK Stalin, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi Party's leader Akhilesh Yadav and Tejaswi Yadav from Rashtriya Janta Dal approved the statement. The suffering, grievances and demands of farmers are acknowledged all over the nation.
National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah (for J&K's PAGD) and a number of Left parties - the Communist Party of India, the CPI(M), the CPI(ML), the All India Forward Bloc and the Revolutionary Socialist Party also stretched a helping hand to farmers.
Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal emphasized full support to Tuesday's shutdown by all members of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) by sharing a tweet on Sunday morning. Telangana's ruling TRS agreed to brace the shutdown decision with Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao offering "full support" to protests until the three laws are pulled back. Bengal's TMC (Trinamool Congress) fueled moral support to farmers.
Apart from political parties the movement was supported by several trade unions like Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS).
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