Bharat Bandh on 9 July 2025: Reason and Impact

A nationwide Bharat Bandh has been called for 9 July 2025 by various farmer unions and trade organisations across India. The protest is primarily aimed at pressing for demands related to agricultural reforms, fair Minimum Support Prices (MSP), and rollback of recent government policies perceived to adversely affect farmers and small businesses.

Key Reasons Behind the Bharat Bandh:

Implementation of Legal Guarantee for MSP:

Farmer groups are demanding a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Prices for crops, which has been a longstanding issue since the 2020-2021 farmers’ protests.

Opposition to New Agricultural Policies:

Recent amendments and policies, including issues related to land acquisition, crop insurance, and input costs, have raised concerns among farmers about their economic security.

Support from Trade Unions and Other Groups:

Several trade unions and labour organisations have expressed solidarity, citing economic distress, inflation, and job insecurity as additional reasons to support the bandh.

Likely Impact:

• Transport Services:

Public transportation, including buses and trains, may be disrupted in several states.

• Shops and Businesses:

Markets and small businesses in rural and semi-urban areas are expected to remain closed.

• Educational Institutions:

Some schools, colleges, and offices may remain shut or operate online.

• Security Arrangements:

State governments and law enforcement agencies are on high alert to ensure peace and prevent any untoward incidents.

India is likely to witness one of the largest nationwide strikes tomorrow, with multiple Central Trade Unions calling for a Bharat Bandh against the new labour codes, besides expressing concerns over many issues like privatisation.

Historically, labour rights have been regulated by a flurry of over 20 Central and State laws, covering distinct aspects of the rights and obligations of workers. For the last five years, the Centre has been consolidating all these laws into codes, which are expected to come into force this year. The trade unions opposed this code even in the past, deeming it pro-corporate and a tool to curtail workers’ solidarity and the collective right to agitate for their rights.

Tomorrow’s bandh is the culmination of a long-drawn-out resistance by the trade unions, including the INTUC, AITUC, CITU, HMS and SEWA among others. It is anticipated that over 25 crore workers will participate in it. Many farmers’ unions have also come out in support of tomorrow’s Bharat Bandh

What resulted in the Bharat Bandh?

The Labour Codes largely streamline the different central laws on labour into four distinct thematic areas: Wages, workplace safety, terms of employment and dispute resolution, and social security. While the intent to concatenate all the relevant laws has received support, their legislative reengineering has stirred a fair amount of controversy.

The Code on Wages (2019), which mandates a minimum wage threshold and timely payouts across sectors, lays down a unified definition of “wages” to level the calculations on employee benefits like gratuity, pensions, etc. It also sets out specific conditions for overtime and allowances as wage components.

The Industrial Relations Code (2020) governs rules around trade unions, employee layoffs, minimum work hours and dispute resolution mechanisms. This legislation specifically introduces a category called “fixed-term employee”, who is an employee that will get the benefits that permanent employees are entitled to. It also raises the minimum limit from 100 to 300 workers for a company to seek compulsory government approvals in the case of layoffs or closure.

The Social Security Code (2020) determines the terms and conditions as well as the extent of different central and state-level welfare schemes for workers. This law extends its purview to cover gig workers, platform-based workers and domestic workers. It also mandates the statutory contribution of all platform owners or aggregators to 2 per cent of their annual profits towards the welfare fund of the workers.

The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code (2020) looks into the existing safety gaps and introduces measures to bridge them, like mandatory appointment letters, health checks for hazardous jobs, digitised attendance records, and safety measures for female workers, especially during night shifts.

The labour unions have been protesting against many aspects of these Codes. First, they have expressed their concerns over the “fixed-term employment” concept that would allegedly deprive workers of any job security. The obligation of digitised registration of identity documents like Aadhaar to receive welfare benefits has also been questioned. There is also outrage against the change in the retrenchment limits for layoffs, which further makes workers vulnerable. Moreover, the increased compliance requirements for union registrations have been deemed a step to undermine the power of collective bargaining of the workers.

Conclusion:

The Bharat Bandh on 9 July 2025 reflects ongoing socio-economic tensions and the need for dialogue between stakeholders to address farmers’ concerns. Citizens are advised to plan their travel and daily activities accordingly and stay informed through official updates.

Source:- Indian Express

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