Rural bandh more of a symbolic protest but many farmers shun work
BKU supporter farmers largely followed the bandh call and kept off their daily farming activities while many others continued their daily work. A group of protesting farmers forced a few sugarcane weighing centres to close down in Bijnor and also asked traders in Afzalgarh to close their shops .
MEERUT The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and Bharatiya Kisan Union’s ‘ Grameen Bharat Bandh’ remained more of a symbolic protest in various districts of western UP.
BKU supporter farmers largely followed the bandh call and kept off their daily farming activities while many others continued their daily work.
A group of protesting farmers forced a few sugarcane weighing centres to close down in Bijnor and also asked traders in Afzalgarh to close their shops .
The BKU has its headquarters in Sisauli town of Muzaffarnagar and its district president Yogesh Sharma said that farmers staged protests at 11 designated locations at block level in the district to raise their demands, including MSP.
BKU’s west UP president Pawan Khatana said that for the first time, farmers went on strike and kept off work. . “ People associated with different professions and trades go on strike to raise their demands but farmers never thought of adopting this medium of protest. This was the first time when farmers and agriculture labourers decided to not work for a day and this could be extended in future”, said Khatana.
He said that farmers associated with the BKU remained at home and avoided going to dump their sugarcane in mills or at sugarcane weighing centres in villages. They didn’t go to Mandi and staged protest at different places across western UP and also in Prayagraj, Gorakhpur and other districts of eastern and central UP.
Khatana said that the organisation directed farmers to not compel anyone to support the bandh and just appeal to people to willingly support it if they found farmers’ demands genuine.
Meanwhile, no effect of the bandh was seen in cities where traffic remained normal and markets were open.
“We are holding the protest for our demands, including implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report and loan waiver etc,” Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait told reporters.
On being asked if he had any plans to go to Delhi, Tikait said, “A meeting is scheduled in Sisauli (Muzaffaranagar) on Saturday, where planning for the future course of action will be made.” Tikait participated in the protest held at the Bagovali crossing on the Delhi-Dehradun National Highway. BKU supporters staged protests at 10 places in the district.
(With inputs from agencies )
