Transporters threaten 'chakka jam' on December 8

New Delhi: Transporters on Wednesday, who have come out in support of the ongoing farmers' agitation over three agricultural Acts have called for a nationwide strike from December 8. Transport unions, supporting the peasant movement, have threatened to stop the movement of essential commodities in the North Indian states and later throughout the country.

The All-India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), an umbrella body of goods' vehicles' operators representing about 10 million truckers, called for a strike from December 8 in support of the farmers' protest. "From December 8 onwards, we will shut all our operations across North India and stop all our vehicles across North Indian states and UTs (Union Territories) including Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal, and Jammu (& Kashmir). We have decided that if the government still does not agree to the demands of the protesting farmers, then we will call for a Chakka Jam all across India and stop all our vehicles," said AIMTC president Kultaran Singh Atwal.

Road transport accounts for about 60% of the freight traffic in India and 87% of its passenger traffic, according to the Union road transport and highways ministry.

Farmers, especially from Punjab and Haryana, have been protesting against the three laws, saying say will hurt their incomes even as the government has maintained they will enhance them. They say the laws are a precursor to the withdrawal of government support for farming and will replace existing middlemen with more powerful corporate entities.

In a statement, the AIMTC said the transporters are extending unstinted support to the farmer agitation. "They are fighting for their legitimate rights. Like the road transport sector of India, the farm sector is indeed the backbone and lifeline of the nation…Over 70 percent of the rural households depend on agriculture. Entire North India is affected and thousands of trucks carrying food, vegetables, and other perishable and non-perishable items coming from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, J&K are impacted and we still support them as 65% of the trucks are engaged in carrying farm produce," the statement said.