Bharat Bandh: All you need to know

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer unions, will on Friday observe 'Bharat Bandh'. Notably, 26 March 2021 marks four months of farmers’ agitation on the borders of the national capital against the three Central farm laws. The Bharat Bandh on 26 March 2021 will begin at 6 am and end at 6 pm.

During the 12-hour-long Bharat Bandh, all road and rail transport, markets and other public places will be closed across the country. However, the March 26 Bharat Bandh will not be applicable to places where elections are going to be held.

This is the second nation-wide strike announced by the farmers. The first ‘bandh’ took place on December 8 which was witnessed in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Assam. It received support from several trade unions, various other organisations as well as 24 opposition parties, including the Congress and the NCP.

Farmer leader Buta Singh Burjgill had earlier said: "We will observe a complete Bharat bandh on March 26, when our protest against the three farm laws completes four months. The peaceful bandh will remain effective from morning till evening."

Farmers also plan to burn copies of the new farm laws during ‘Holika Dahan’ on March 28.

Congress MP Digvijaya Singh tweeted in support of the protesting farmers. “We support the call for Bharat Bandh on 26th March against the three Anti-Farmers Bill,” Singh said.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping and protesting at the Delhi border points — Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur — for over four months, demanding the repeal of farm laws and a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.