Bharat Bandh on December 8: Banking and transport services may be affected, emergency services exempted

• Farmers and trade unions from various states have extended their support for the 'Bharat Bandh' call of farmer organisations on December 8.
  
• The 'Bandh' will start at 8 am, and the chakka jams (road blockades) will be in force up to 3 pm across the country.
  
• These are the services that are likely to be affected by 'Bharat Bandh' tomorrow.
  
• Check out the latest news and updates on Business Insider.

Farmers and trade unions from various states, including whole northern India, have extended their support for the 'Bharat Bandh' call of farmer organisations on December 8 to raise their voice against the Centre's three contentious farm laws.

The 'Bandh' will start at 8 am, and the chakka jams (road blockades) will be in force up to 3 pm across the country.

Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha and Tamil Nadu are among the 12 states that have chalked out a plan for the 'Bharat Bandh' so far.

The farmer leaders have decided to continue their sit-in until their first and major demand to repeal all three farm laws is not accepted. While the government was agreeable in the fifth government-farmer meet to do amendments to the three bills, farmers were pushing for these laws to be scrapped.

These are the services that will be affected by 'Bharat Bandh' tomorrow:

Transport services: Transport services are likely to be affected as some auto and taxi unions have decided to join Bharat Bandh.

Many other associations are sympathetic towards farmers’ cause but are refraining from supporting the bandh. The general secretary of Delhi Auto Rickshaw Sangh, and Delhi Pradesh Taxi Union, Rajender Soni, said that many "important" auto, taxi and last-mile vehicle driver unions would not join the strike.

Explaining further in a statement, he said, "We fully sympathise with the farmers' struggle and support their demand. But the drivers of autos, taxis and Gramin Sewa and other last-mile vehicles are already hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and can not afford to strike now."

Banking services: Many bank unions including — The All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC), All India Bank Officers' Association (AIBOA) and Indian National Bank Officers' Congress (INBOC) have also expressed solidarity with the protesting farmers.

Many bank employees will likely be joining the protest, therefore affecting the banking services on December 8.

Shops and small businesses: Farmers said they have also appealed offices and shops to close for one day across the country, along with dairy suppliers and local transport operators.

This could disrupt the supply of milk and vegetables.

Emergency services and weddings exempted: Emergency and hospital services will continue unaffected. The farmer representatives from around 40 unions said that the weddings and emergency services including ambulances would be exempted from the nationwide protest.

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