Chandigarh: In view of the ‘Bharat Bandh’ call given by various farmer organisations on September 27, elaborate arrangements have been made to maintain peace and order, the Haryana Police said on Sunday. The call has been given by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of over 40 farm unions, spearheading the farmer’s agitation against three central farm laws, which were enacted last year.
In an advisory, police stated that people could face traffic disruptions on various roads and highways of the state due to the ‘bandh’ on Monday. A Haryana police spokesperson said that elaborate arrangements have been put in place by the civil and the police administrations in Haryana according to the directions of the state government.
“The primary objective of these arrangements is to maintain public peace and order, prevent any kind of violence and to facilitate the functioning of traffic and public transport systems across the state,” he said. “According to the reports, it is expected that agitating groups may sit on ‘dharna’ on several roads and highways and can block them for some time. The national and state highways in the state may also some traffic disruptions for several hours,” the spokesman said.
Citizens are also informed prior so that they are able to plan and modify their journey accordingly to avoid any inconvenience, he said. The spokesperson said that the districts have also been asked to make necessary arrangements in this regard. The Haryana Police has even appealed to farmers to raise their issues peacefully without disturbing the law and order situation.
“Stern action, as per the law, will be taken against elements trying to disturb public order under the guise of bandh call,” the police spokesman said. The SKM had earlier appealed to the people to join the bandh. “As this historic struggle completes ten months, Samyukt Kisan Morcha has called Monday (September 27) to be observed as ‘Bharat Bandh’ against the anti-farmer Modi government,” it had said in a statement.
“The SKM appeals to every Indian to join this nationwide movement and make the ‘Bharat Bandh’ a resounding success. In particular, we appeal to all organisations of workers, traders, transporters, businessmen, students, youth and women and all social movements to extend solidarity with the farmers that day,” the SKM added.
The bandh will be held from 6 AM to 4 PM during which all government and private offices, educational and other institutions, shops, industries, and commercial establishments, as well as public events and functions, will be closed throughout the country, it had said. All emergency establishments and essential services, including hospitals, medical stores, relief, and rescue work, and people attending to personal emergencies will be exempted.
Farmers from different parts of the country, such as Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at Delhi borders since November last year, demanding the repeal of the three farm laws that they fear would do away with the Minimum Support Price system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporations. The government has been projecting the three laws as major agricultural reforms. A total of 10 rounds of talks between the two parties have failed to break the deadlock.
(With Inputs From PTI)
