The left parties and social outfits affiliated to them in the state held candlelight and torch processions in different districts and block headquarters on Saturday evening as a prelude to their upcoming state-wide chakka jam on December 10. The state-wide strike is against the new farm laws introduced by the union government which has triggered nationwide protests demanding for its rollback.

In Ranchi, members of CPI, CPM, CPI (M-L), Marxists Coordination Committee (MCC) staged a dharna at Albert Ekka Chowk in the evening and similar processions were held across the state, they claimed. Dubbing the farm laws as anti-farmer, the protestors rented slogans of revocation of the laws.

CPI’s district secretary Sukanth Lohra said that they will continue to fight till the ‘black laws’ are withdrawn. “The union government has forced lakhs of farmers in the country to come out on streets to fight for their survival. The recent laws are pro-capitalists and farmers are waging a war this time for their existence. We stand in solidarity with their fight and have planned different protest programmes throughout this week in the run-up to our state-wide chakka jam on December 10,” said Lohra.

CPI-M state secretary Prakash Viplav has called everyone to oppose the new farm laws in the interest of the nation. “The new laws are in no way pro-farmers. The continued deadlock in negotiations between the union government and protesting farmers in Delhi is testimony to the fact that farmers are unhappy. If the union government was serious towards farmers’ interest, they would have promptly agreed to all the demands made by the farmers,” he said.

Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee (JPCC), part of the ruling coalition government in Jharkhand, too separately held state-wide dharna programme across all the 24 districts on Saturday morning on this issue.

State Congress president Rameshwar Oraon said that their party has held several agitation programmes both nationally and in the state ever since these laws were ‘unconstitutionally’ passed by the parliament.

“In Jharkhand, we held several protest marches and demonstration over the last two months, demanding for its rollback. Today’s dharna was in continuation of our ongoing agitation. Congress has always fought for farmers and their rights and our stir will continue till they are taken back,” said Oraon, adding that while the union government through its new farm laws were trying to phase out minimum support prices (MSP), their regime in Jharkhand has, for the first time, provisioned on-spot 50% payment to farmers in lieu of their paddy sale to encourage more farmers turnout at the government procurement centre to get legitimate MSP.