Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 10 (ANI): Farmers, workers and several affiliated organisations staged a ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’ in Shimla on Monday as part of a nationwide protest against the policies of the Centre, particularly free trade agreements, labour reforms and alleged measures favouring corporates.
The protesters assembled outside the Police Reporting Room on the Mall Road, a restricted area, and offered mass arrests as part of the nationwide call for demonstrations at around 1,000 locations.
Similar protests and jail-bharo programmes were organised at around 25 places across Himachal Pradesh, including Rampur, Rohru, Paonta Sahib and Una, according to the organisers.
Farmer leader Sohan Tanwar, speaking to ANI, said the protest was a joint movement of farmers and workers against trade agreements, US tariff policies and what he described as “anti-farmer and anti-worker” policies of the Centre.
“Today’s Jail Bharo Andolan is the joint voice of farmers and workers across the country. It is against the free trade agreements being negotiated and those that have already been signed, as well as the unilateral tariffs being imposed by the US,” Tanwar said.
He alleged that such trade agreements could adversely affect Himachal Pradesh’s apple economy and urged the government to reconsider its approach towards the US.
“Apple cultivation in Shimla district is already facing a serious crisis and the policies being pursued could destroy this farming economy. The government should wake up,” he said.
Tanwar also criticised what he described as India’s “subservience” to US interests, referring to trade negotiations, tariffs and decisions concerning oil imports. He said farmers, apple growers, workers, students and youth organisations had joined the protest.
The protest was supported by organisations including the Himachal Kisan Sabha, CITU, Apple Growers Association, SFI, DYFI, AILU, INTUC and other farmers’, workers’, students’ and youth groups, the organisers said.
CITU Himachal Pradesh president Vijendra Mehra, speaking to ANI, said the protest was aimed at highlighting what he termed attacks on workers and farmers through government policies.
“The nationwide Jail Bharo Andolan was called against the policies of the Modi government towards workers and farmers. These policies are destroying farming and weakening the rights of workers,” Mehra said.
Mehra alleged that the Centre had weakened labour protections by replacing existing labour laws with four labour codes, which he claimed would benefit large corporate interests.
“Twenty-nine labour laws have been abolished, and four labour codes have been brought in to benefit capitalists. There is an attempt to promote insecure employment and flexi-work instead of permanent jobs, while 12-hour work is being pushed in place of the eight-hour working day,” he said.
He further alleged that the new labour framework could weaken labour offices and trade unions and impose stricter penalties on workers participating in protests.
On the agricultural front, Mehra said free trade agreements with countries and blocs including the European Union and the UK, as well as a proposed India-US trade arrangement, could expose Indian farmers to greater competition.
“These trade agreements will completely damage farming. Our dairy products, cotton and soybean sectors will face a crisis. In Himachal Pradesh, the apple crop will be severely affected,” he said.
Mehra claimed that Himachal’s apple economy, which he put at around Rs 6,000 crore and said supports lakhs of families, could face a serious threat if such trade policies are implemented.
He also raised issues of unemployment, inflation and education policy, alleging that the new education policy would adversely affect students and that the youth were facing a severe employment crisis.
Mehra said women were also protesting in Delhi seeking implementation of 35 per cent reservation, and alleged that the Centre’s overall policies were increasingly favouring the wealthy.
According to him, protests, rallies, demonstrations and road blockades were organised at around 25 locations across Himachal Pradesh.
In Shimla, protesters marched from Evening College, the Ridge and Jain Dharamshala before reaching the Police Reporting Room on Mall Road, where they participated in the Jail Bharo programme.
The organisers said the protests would continue until the government addresses their concerns relating to farmers, workers, trade agreements, employment, education and rising prices. (ANI)
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