Is Bharat Bandh on February 6? What is the �chakka jam� protest which farmers have announced for Saturday?

02-02-2021

As part of the ongoing agitation against the three central farm laws, farmer unions have given a call for a nationwide 'chakka jam' on February 6 (Saturday). The kisan unions have announced that they would create blockades at various national and state highways across the country for three hours on Saturday. The �chakka jam� will be enforced by farmer unions to protest against the ban on internet services which has been imposed in areas near their agitation sites by the government. The unions have called it harassment by authorities. Addressing a press conference at the Singhu Border on Monday, kisan union leaders said that highways and roads would be blocked between 12 noon and 3 pm on February 6 (Saturday). The unions said that the authorities were trying to kill off their agitation by cutting water and power supply to the protest sites. Further, mobile toilet blocks are also being taken away from the protest venues, they alleged. The unions further claimed that the Union Budget 2021-22 presented yesterday "ignored" the farmers. According to the Samkyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of protesting farmer unions, Twitter accounts of Kisan Ekta Morcha and others involved in the agitation were being blocked on the instructions of the Central government. According to Punjab farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal, unions will hold a meet to work out the modalities of the February 6 'chakka jam'. "Our February 6 protest would also be against this harassment faced by journalists who are trying to report the truth from the ground, and the Twitter restrictions," Rajewal said. The government, meanwhile, yesterday asserted that it was committed to the welfare of farmers. Presenting the Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman yesterday proposed a 10 per cent hike in farm loan disbursal target to Rs 16.5 lakh crore. The Budget has also brought in an agri infra and development cess in order to build post-harvest infrastructure for improving farmers' income.