On February 16, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and several trade unions called for a nationwide “Gramin Bharat Bandh,” to which a number of political parties and farmers’ organizations in Jharkhand pledged their support.
A day after Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress, called off the second phase of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Jharkhand and departed for New Delhi, the party’s state unit announced its support for the bandh.
The CPI and the Jharkhand Rajya Kisan Sabha, a broad organization that addresses issues pertaining to farmers, supported the bandh. Public buses and mining vehicles, according to trade union leaders, will stay off the road. “The trade union leaders also decided that employees at all government offices, factories and other establishments will abstain from work and support the strike,” Ajay Singh, the leader of the CPI, stated as per the input from The BNN
According to JPCC President Rajesh Thakur, the party will back the bandh on Friday. “The leadership of our country has already expressed its support. He stated in Ranka, “Our workers will take to the streets throughout the state.
Congress leaders in Jharkhand also advocated for the legal guarantee in minimum support prices which are being demanded by the farmers. “Thousands of farmers across the country committed suicide for not getting fair prices for their yields. But this government is not worried about them,” the party said in a statement.
JMM leadership on Wednesday said that it would make public its stand on the matter on Thursday. However, its leaders said the party had offered its in-principle support to the farmers’ protests against the three agri laws a few years ago.