Left-leaning farmers’ unions are hopeful that the proposed nationwide strike (Bharat Bandh) on 8 December will yield spontaneous response from the people in Siliguri.
According to them, their stance will be aggressive like what had been seen during the last all-India general strike called by central trade unions on 26 November.
Protesting farmers have called for the countrywide shutdown against the new controversial farm sector laws.
“We are expecting that the strike on 8 December will be total in our district. There will be spontaneous response from the people. Tens of thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have seiged Delhi to press for their demands. We appeal to all to stand with the farmers’ cause,” said Jharen Roy, the secretary of the Darjeeling district All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), the peasants’ wing of the CPI-M. Mr Roy said there will be road blockades at Rangapani, Bidhannagar and Panitanki under the Siliguri sub-division in support of the strike.
Five Left parties–CPI-M, CPI, All India Forward Bloc, RSP and CPI (ML) Liberation have come together to extend support to the strike.
Leaders said the recent strike, which had evoked a near total response in Siliguri, had charged up them. Many, however, said that since the Trinamul Congress had stayed away from actively opposing the strike, it helped create a positive impact.
The ruling party yesterday declared its ‘moral support’ to the proposed strike.
“We are not concerned about the stand of the Trinamul Congress. We know that the strike will be successful with the people across a wide spectrum of society will support the call,” said the district secretary of the All India Kishan Mahasabha (AIKM), Pabitra Singha. Both the AIKS and the AIKM, which is affiliated to the CPI (ML) Liberation, are constituents of the Left-backed All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee.
Farmers are demanding withdrawal of three new farm laws–The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 besides the withdrawal of the Electricity ( Amendment ) Bill, 2020 that proposes to reduce subsidies and privatise power distribution.