'Bharat Bandh' a big success, claims Samkyukta Kisan Morcha

The 12-hour 'Bharat bandh' called by farmers protesting the three agri laws was a "big success", the Samkyukta Kisan Morcha said on Friday, and claimed that shutdown was observed in many parts of the country, including Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Bihar.

However, there was a minimal impact in Delhi with no report of a disturbance in the metro and road transport services, and major markets of the city remaining open during the day.

In a statement, the Morcha, an umbrella body of farmer unions protesting the three farm laws, alleged that its several leaders and cadres were detained by the police in Karnataka and Gujarat during the 'bandh' that marked four months of the agitation at Delhi's three borders -- Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri.

On Friday, the nationwide shutdown started at 6 am and was in force up to 6 pm across the country.

The statement claimed that in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, the impact of the bandh was "impressive".

Also read: Farmers' 'Bharat Bandh' call evokes mixed response

"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," it claimed.

The SKM said the 'bandh' was observed in more than 20 districts of Bihar and over 200 places in Punjab as well as in Haryana where people made it a "a big success"

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, the morcha claimed.

"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," the Samkyukta Kisan Morcha said.

Also read — Bharat Bandh: Farmers block highways in Punjab, Haryana; rail services hit

According to their statement, in Uttar Pradesh, roads and markets were closed at many places, including Aligarh, Shamli, Moradabad, Etawah and Sambhal.

Farmer organisations in Kurnool and Vijayawada made this bandh "a success", the statement claimed, adding that the impact was also seen at dozens of places, including Warangal, Hanmakonda and Mehboobabad in Telangana.

In Rajasthan, farmers blocked roads in Bikaner, Sriganganagar, Kesari Singhpur, Anupgarh, Padampur, NH 62 and other places, the SKM statement claimed.

Many political parties, bar associations, trade unions, student organisations, democratic organisations, small traders, organisations fighting for social justice, social and religious organizations and conscious citizens supported the nationwide shutdown and made every effort for it, the Morcha claimed.

In the statement, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha said it acknowledged this support and also the support extended by trade unions, women's organisations, transporters' associations and others.

Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at Delhi's Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur demanding a complete repeal of the three farm laws and a legal guarantee to the minimum support price (MSP) on their crops.

So far, there have been 11 rounds of talks between the protesting unions and the government, but the deadlock continues as both sides have stuck to their stands.

In January, the government had offered to suspend the farm laws for 12-18 months, which was rejected by the farmer unions.