Historic Human Chain against Anti-Farm Bills
Responding to the call given by the Mahagathbandhan for a human chain across Bihar on Mahatma Gandhi martyrdom day 30 January, farm workers, small farmers, sharecroppers, women and intellectuals displayed great strength and unity. The human chain was organized in urban and rural areas across Bihar from 12.30 to 1 pm.
In Patna people started queing up early from 12 noon at Buddha Smriti Park and the chain was built up through Dak Bangla towards Radio Station. The entire Fraser Road was covered in a surge of placards and red flags. Mahagathbandhan parties CPIML, RJD, CPI, CPIM, Congress and many labour-farmer-student-women organizations participated in the human chain. CPIML MLAs led the program in their respective areas.
Participating in the human chain near Buddha Smriti Park were CPIML General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, RJD leader and leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, CPIM leader Awadhesh Kumar, CPI leader Rambabu Yadav, state level Congress leaders, and activists from All India Kisan Mahasabha, AICCTU, AIARLA, AISA, RYA and other organizations. The human chain starting from Buddha Smriti Park was led by CPIML State Secretary Kunal, Dhirendra Jha, Amar, AIKSCC leader Rajaram Singh, AIKM leaders KD Yadav, Shivsagar Sharma, Rajendra Patel, AIPWA leaders Meena Tiwari, Shashi Yadav, Saroj Chaube, AICCTU leaders RN Thakur, Ranvijay Kumar, RYA leaders Sudhir Kumar, Vinay Kumar, AISA leaders Vikas Yadav, Danish, Priyanka Priyanka Priyadarshini, Kartik Paswan and others. Present on the occasion were RJD State President Jagadanand Singh and spokesperson Manoj Jha.
CPIML General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said during the human chain that the farmers' struggle is reaching new heights across the country. Under cover of the small incident during the farmers' parade on 26 January the Modi government wanted to crush the movement. Conspiracies to crush it were started at the Delhi borders and in Uttar Pradesh. But the entire Western Uttar Pradesh stood up against Modi-Yogi's tyranny. Today a human chain is being woven across Bihar. BJP people were spreading the false propaganda that the farmers' movement is non-existent in Bihar. Let them see with their own eyes today that Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar as well as all other parts of the country are standing up to be counted against the Modi government. The demand for legal status for MSP and reinstatement of the APMC Act in Bihar is also being raised strongly.
He further said that some people were under the delusion that the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar was only an alliance for election purposes. That is not the case at all. The Mahagathbandhan is fast becoming an alliance for struggles and movements. We all stand together united. In Bihar the Mahagathbandhan stands firmly with farmers and with the Constitution. We will continue the struggle till the three black farm laws are repealed.
Human chains were also organized at Income Tax Golamber and Samanpura in Patna. There was a notable participation of women in the human chain at Samanpura. At Phulwarisharif and Paliganj MLAs Gopal Ravidas and Sandeep Saurabh led human chains that stetched over ten kilometres.
In Bhojpur human chains were organized at Block HQs in Piro, Sahar, Agiaon, Ara, Jagdishpur and other blocks, led by MLAs Sudama Prasad, Manoj Manzil, CPIML youth leader Raju Yadav and others. MLA Virendra Prasad Gupta led a human chain over 10 km long at Betiya Station Check in Champaran. The chain in Muzaffarpur was organized by the Mahagathbandhan along with Insaf Manch. Human chains were also organized at Sakra, Kudhni, Muroul, Aurai and other places. The chain in Madhubani started from Jainagar after garlanding the statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Baba Saheb Ambedkar, and in Buxar at Jyoti Check and Brahmpur on NH 84. The human chain in Jehanabad was led by MLA Rambali Singh Yadav,while MLAs Mahboob Alam, Arun Singh, Mahanand Singh and Satyadev Ram led the human chains at Barsoi, Karakat, Arwal, and Siwan respectively. Long lines were also seen in the human chains at Saran, Gopalganj, Bhagalpur, Nawada, Purnea, Gaya, Aurangabad, Kaimur, Samastipur and other District HQs.
Glimpses from Human Chains across Bihar
The Mahagathbandhan call for a human chain on 30 January received a resounding response across Bihar. People from civil society gave unstinted support to this call and linked hands in long lines kilometres long. Mahagathbandhan parties including CPIML were seen in full force on GT Road, all the national highways, state highways and other roads. In Gaya District a long human chain was organized on GT Road (NH 2) from Barachatti to Sherghati. Hundreds of farmers participated in the human chain in Bodhgaya on the Gaya-Dobhi road at NH 83.
Human chains were organized on NH 139 and NH 110 in Arwal in which about a thousand farmers participated. In Jehanabad long chains of people lined both sides of the Patna-Gaya main road. Siwan District saw enthusiastic response to the call, with a long human chain from Kachahari Dhala through JP Chowk to Babuniya More in Siwan city. Another chain was organized from Dhala to Siwan Railway Station. Long human chains were also witnessed at Mairwa, Guthni, Darauli and other places. Long lines of human chain were also seen at Gopalganj from Maunia Chowk to Post Office and at Bhore Block HQ.
Long human chains were also organized at Tajpur and Samastipur Collectorate in Samastipur and NH 57, Shivdhara, Jeevach Gachh, Moriya, Collectorate abd Jale-Kamtaul Path in Darbhanga, as well as Lohia Charan Singh College. MNREGA Mazdor Sabha organized a long human chain at Mabbi.
Human chains stretching to great lengths were seen at Block HQs, villages and Panchayats in Muzaffarpur District, NH 57 fron Bochaha to Gayaghat, Sakra, Muroul, Aurai and other Blocks, Muzaffarpur-Hajipur Highway, Bhagwanpur, Zero Mile, Ramdayalu Chowk, Gobarsahi and other places. Long lines were also seen at Beguserai, Ballia, Bhagalpur and Khagaria.
Bhojpur witnessed long human chains at various places including Ara, Jagdishpur and Piro. Buxar saw long lines at NH 84, Jyoti Check, Brahmpur. Long human chains were also organized at Hilsa, Karai, Islampur, Ekangar Sarai, Parwalpur, Tharthari, Nagarnausa, Chandi, Harnaut and other Blocks.
Human chains were organized at Hajipur, Sitamarhi, Sikta in Champaran, and Purnea. The participation of women in large numbers was noteworthy.
A human chain more than 10 km long was organized on the Patna-Aurangabad Road in Paliganj. Long lines were also seen at Fatuha, Dulhinbazaar, Masaurhi and other blocks. Long human chains complete with red flags were seen at Rohtas, Kaimur, Jamui, Lakhiserai, Katihar, Eastern Champaran, Madhubani, Saran, Supoul and other District HQs.
