The All India Railwaymen’s Federation on Monday extended its support to Bharat Bandh on December 8 called by farmer unions which have been protesting on Delhi’s borders against the Centre’s new agri-marketing laws.
Shiva Gopal Mishra, general secretary, All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF) met the agitating farmers at Singhu border and assured them that members of the railway union are with them in their fight against the new agriculture laws.
“We have written to our affiliates all over the Indian Railways to extend support to the farmers in their struggle to achieve their genuine demands, on December 8, 2020 during ‘Bharat Bandh’. I have already advised AIRF affiliates to organise agitation programmes, dharna, demonstrations and rallies during lunch hour against anti-farmer policies of the Government of India.
“I hope that the government will give cognizance to the genuine demands of the farmers and redress the same at the earliest,” he said.
The railway union, which has around 9 lakh members, is the latest to show solidarity with the agitating farmers, who have found support from transport unions and the joint forum of trade unions like the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) and the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).
Opposition parties like the Congress, NCP, SP, INLD and the Left parties have also come out in support of the stir.
After five rounds of talks between the Centre and the farmer unions failed to end the impasse, the two sides are again set to meet on December 9, a day after the countrywide strike.
The three farm laws enacted in September have been projected by the government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country.
However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of Minimum Support Price (MSP) and do away with the mandis, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.
The Centre has repeatedly asserted that these mechanisms will remain.
