Bharat Bandh on Sept 27: Which political parties backing farmers’ resistance

Agencies
September 26, 2021

The Bharat Bandh or the nationwide strike declared by farmers on September 27 to protest against the three central farm laws has garnered support from several political parties. The strike on Monday, which is to be led by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) – an umbrella body of farmers' unions spearheading the anti-farm law protests – has now received support from the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led Andhra Pradesh government; meanwhile, the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). And the Left parties have already extended support to the Bharat Bandh earlier.

The deadlock 

The Bharat Bandh has been called by the farmer unions to protest the three contentious agricultural laws passed by the central government, against which the farmers have been demonstrating 

The government and farmer unions have held 11 rounds of talks so far, the last being on January 22, to break the deadlock and end the farmers' protest. Talks have not resumed following widespread violence during a tractor rally by protesting farmers on January 26.

The three laws—The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020—were passed by the Parliament in September last year.

Farmer groups have alleged that these laws will end the mandi and minimum support price (MSP) procurement systems and leave the farmers at the mercy of big corporates, even as the government has rejected these apprehensions as misplaced and asserted that these steps will help increase farmers' income. The Supreme Court in January stayed the implementation of the three laws till further orders and appointed a panel to resolve the impasse.

Which political parties have supported the Bharat Bandh?

YSR Congress

The YSR Congress-led Andhra Pradesh government is the latest political quarter to throw its weight behind the September 27 Bharat Bandh called by the farmers.

The announcement was made by Andhra Pradesh information and transport minister Perni Venkataramaiah (Nani) said on Saturday. He said that the state government, led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, has extended its ‘full support’ to the Bharat Bandh on September 27 in solidarity with the concerns of farmers. Additionally, the Andhra Pradesh government is also supporting the concerns of the Visakhapatnam steel plant workers, who have been opposing privatisation attempts by the central government.

In view of this, Nani said the Andhra Pradesh government has decided to stop APSRTC buses across the state from September 26 midnight to September 27 afternoon. The minister, however, appealed for peaceful protests in the Bandh.

Aam Aadmi Party

The AAP has also supported the Bharat Bandh call issued by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha on September 27. Announcing the party's support for the nationwide strike in solidarity with the farmers, AAP leader Raghav Chadha said on Saturday that party supremo and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has always stood by the farmers against the “black laws.”

Congress

The Congress on Saturday extended its support to the Bharat Bandh and demanded that discussions be initiated with the protesters. Calling for a “peaceful” strike, Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said the party and all its workers are in support of the Bharat Bandh call given by farmer unions against the Centre's three farm laws.

The Congress leader also demanded that the MSP should be given as a legal right to every farmer “as they do not want only 'jumlas' (rhetoric)” and referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise to double the farmers' income by 2022.

Telugu Desam Party and Left parties

n a bid to make Bharat Bandh called by San successful, a meeting was held on Wednesday at Andhra Pradesh's Communist Party India (CPI) office by left parties, Congress, and Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

During the meeting, Donepudi Sankar, CPI State leader said, “Farmers have been agitating for nine months in Delhi, so this Bharat Bandh will be held to support them.”

In a joint statement, the Left parties – the CPI, CPI(M), All India Forward Bloc, Revolutionary Socialist Party, and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) – urged people to extend support to the Bharat Bandh, noting that the “historic” farmers' struggle demanding the repeal of the agri-laws is now in its tenth month.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav extends support

Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav extended his support to Samyukta Kisan Morcha's (SKM) call for Bharat Bandh on September 27.

In a tweet on Friday, Tejashwi Yadav said, “In the meeting of the top leaders of the Mahagathbandhan parties held at the residence today, it was unanimously decided to participate and support the Bharat Bandh called by the United Kisan Morcha on September 27, in protest against the anti-farmer policies of the NDA government. We are firm with the farmers.”

Meanwhile, Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday denounced the call for Bharat Bandh by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha against the Centre's three contentious farm laws on September 27, saying disrupting economic activities post-Covid-19 was not in the interest of the nation.

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News Network
April 24,2024

modiliar.jpg

Ambikapur (Chhattisgarh): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hit out at the Congress, saying the 'vote bank hungry' party wanted to implement reservation on the basis of religion.

Addressing a poll rally in Ambikapur, the headquarters of Surguja district in Chhattisgarh, PM Modi also said the Congress wanted to impose inheritance tax in the country and snatch the rights of people's children.

Some forces want a "weak" government of the Congress and "I.N.D.I." alliance in the country as they thought that if India becomes 'atmanirbhar' (self-reliant), their shops will be shut, he said.

"Today when I have come to Surguja, I want to present the Muslim League thinking of the Congress in front of the country. When their manifesto was released, on the same day I had said, and saying today also that the Congress manifesto has the imprint of Muslim League," Modi said.

When the Constitution was being drafted, it was decided under the leadership of Babasaheb Ambedkar that there would be no reservation on the basis of religion in India, he said.

"If there will be reservation then it will be for by Dalit brothers and sisters and tribal brothers and sisters," he said.

"But the vote bank hungry Congress never cared about the words of the great personalities, sanctity of the Constitution and the words of Babasaheb Ambedkar. Years ago, the Congress made an attempt to implement reservation on the basis of religion in Andhra Pradesh. Then Congress has planned to implement it in the entire country," Modi said.

They talked about implementing 15 per cent reservation on the basis of religion and said it will be done after curtailing the quota of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes, he added.

In its 2009 manifesto, Congress's intention was the same and in the 2014 manifesto, it clearly said it will not leave this issue, the prime minister said.

The Congress wanted to change the Constitution and hand over rights of the SCs, STs and OBCs to its vote bank, he said.

The intention of the Congress is not good, it is not according to the Constitution, social justice and secularism. If anyone can protect your reservation, it is the BJP, Modi said.

"The Congress's eyes are not only on your reservation, but also on your earnings, your houses, shops and farms. The 'shehzada' of Congress (apparently referring to Rahul Gandhi) says they will conduct an X-ray of the property of every house and every family in the country. The Congress will snatch all these from you and they say that they will equally distribute them," he said.

Do you know to whom they will distribute it after 'looting' it from you? Modi asked, to which the people replied in affirmative.

"I need not to tell you to whom they will distribute," he added.

Modi further said the 'dangerous intentions' of Congress are coming to forth one by one and now it says it will impose inheritance tax.

"The advisor of shehzada of the shahi parivar, who was also the advisor to the shehzada's father, had said that more tax should be imposed on the middle class and those who earn by toiling hard. Now the Congress says it will impose inheritance tax. It will impose tax on the assets inherited by people from their parents. Now, the panja (Congress poll symbol) will snatch the assets from your children," he said without taking any name.

The Congress' mantra is 'loot of Congress zindagi ke sath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi', he said.

"They (Congress) want to snatch your assets and rights of your children," Modi added.

The PM also said he had come to seek people's blessings for a developed Chhattisgarh and a developed India.

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News Network
April 24,2024

modiliar.jpg

Ambikapur (Chhattisgarh): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hit out at the Congress, saying the 'vote bank hungry' party wanted to implement reservation on the basis of religion.

Addressing a poll rally in Ambikapur, the headquarters of Surguja district in Chhattisgarh, PM Modi also said the Congress wanted to impose inheritance tax in the country and snatch the rights of people's children.

Some forces want a "weak" government of the Congress and "I.N.D.I." alliance in the country as they thought that if India becomes 'atmanirbhar' (self-reliant), their shops will be shut, he said.

"Today when I have come to Surguja, I want to present the Muslim League thinking of the Congress in front of the country. When their manifesto was released, on the same day I had said, and saying today also that the Congress manifesto has the imprint of Muslim League," Modi said.

When the Constitution was being drafted, it was decided under the leadership of Babasaheb Ambedkar that there would be no reservation on the basis of religion in India, he said.

"If there will be reservation then it will be for by Dalit brothers and sisters and tribal brothers and sisters," he said.

"But the vote bank hungry Congress never cared about the words of the great personalities, sanctity of the Constitution and the words of Babasaheb Ambedkar. Years ago, the Congress made an attempt to implement reservation on the basis of religion in Andhra Pradesh. Then Congress has planned to implement it in the entire country," Modi said.

They talked about implementing 15 per cent reservation on the basis of religion and said it will be done after curtailing the quota of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes, he added.

In its 2009 manifesto, Congress's intention was the same and in the 2014 manifesto, it clearly said it will not leave this issue, the prime minister said.

The Congress wanted to change the Constitution and hand over rights of the SCs, STs and OBCs to its vote bank, he said.

The intention of the Congress is not good, it is not according to the Constitution, social justice and secularism. If anyone can protect your reservation, it is the BJP, Modi said.

"The Congress's eyes are not only on your reservation, but also on your earnings, your houses, shops and farms. The 'shehzada' of Congress (apparently referring to Rahul Gandhi) says they will conduct an X-ray of the property of every house and every family in the country. The Congress will snatch all these from you and they say that they will equally distribute them," he said.

Do you know to whom they will distribute it after 'looting' it from you? Modi asked, to which the people replied in affirmative.

"I need not to tell you to whom they will distribute," he added.

Modi further said the 'dangerous intentions' of Congress are coming to forth one by one and now it says it will impose inheritance tax.

"The advisor of shehzada of the shahi parivar, who was also the advisor to the shehzada's father, had said that more tax should be imposed on the middle class and those who earn by toiling hard. Now the Congress says it will impose inheritance tax. It will impose tax on the assets inherited by people from their parents. Now, the panja (Congress poll symbol) will snatch the assets from your children," he said without taking any name.

The Congress' mantra is 'loot of Congress zindagi ke sath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi', he said.

"They (Congress) want to snatch your assets and rights of your children," Modi added.

The PM also said he had come to seek people's blessings for a developed Chhattisgarh and a developed India.

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News Network
April 30,2024

israel.jpg

Itamar Ben Gvir, a notorious far-right Israeli minister, has suggested that some Palestinians could be “killed” instead of being kidnapped during the savage war in Gaza.
 
The minister made remarks during an Israeli war cabinet meeting where he questioned the necessity of the detention of a large number of Palestinians.

“Why are there so many arrests? “Can’t you kill some? Do you want to tell me they all surrender? What are we to do with so many arrested? It’s dangerous for the soldiers.” Ben-Gvir was quoted as asking the Israeli military's chief of staff Herzi Halevi.

The minister also reportedly demanded that the army shoot Palestinian women and children in the besieged Palestinian territory to “protect” the Israeli forces.

Halevi briefed ministers who attended the cabinet meeting on the military campaign in Gaza and highlighted that hundreds of Palestinians had surrendered to the occupying forces.

Ben Gvir recently also called for the execution of Palestinian prisoners to ease overcrowding in the jails. The minister said that applying the death penalty to Palestinian detainees was the “right” solution to tackle the problem of prison overcrowding.

Israel soldiers have abducted more than 5,000 of Palestinians during their ongoing military campaign in Gaza.

The Gaza media office has said that Palestinian prisoners were undergoing "the worst kinds of torture" in Israeli jails.

Palestinian rights group Addameer earlier this month said Israel was holding 9,500 Palestinian political prisoners, not including those taken from the Gaza Strip.

Israel has arrested thousands of Palestinians since 7 October. Those detained, often without charge, describe regular beatings and a solitary daily meal designed simply to keep them alive.

Palestinians taken prisoner or hostage from both the West Bank and Gaza have given testimonies detailing horrific and sadistic abuse and torture by their Israeli jailers including beatings, verbal abuse, sexual abuse and rape, breaking of limbs, burns, being stripped naked, and forced drug taking.

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