Will SKM's Bharat Bandh affect Kerala on February 16? Know details

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), in conjunction with central trade unions, has declared a nationwide Gramin Bharat Bandh (rural shutdown) on February 16. However, Kerala Karshaka Sangham has said that a demonstration will be staged in front of Raj Bhavan and major centres in each district on Friday at 10 am.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), in conjunction with central trade unions, has declared a nationwide Gramin Bharat Bandh (rural shutdown) on February 16, urging farmers and like-minded organizations to join the protest. This move comes amid ongoing farmer protests, with hundreds marching from Punjab halted at the Haryana border near Ambala. Since the strike leadership has said that only nonviolent protests will take place in the state, it is uncertain that the statewide strike will disrupt Kerala life as usual.

Bharat Bandh state committee co-ordination chairman and Kerala Karshaka Sangham secretary M Vijayakumar said that a demonstration will be staged in front of Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram and major centres in each district on Friday at 10 am.

The primary demands of the farmers include a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their produce, reinforcement of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), reinstatement of the old pension scheme, and pension and social security for all workers in formal and informal sectors.

The SKM has submitted a list of demands to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including MSP based on the Swaminathan formula, procurement assurance, debt waiver, no increase in electricity tariff, and free 300 units of power for farming, among others.