The All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC)  extended its support to the ‘Bharat Bandh’ call for September 27 given by the farmer group Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM). The bank officers’ association has called upon the government to restart talks with the SKM and roll back the controversial farm laws introduced by it.

AIBOC in a statement said its affiliates and state units will join protest actions in solidarity with the farmers all over the country.

The Union said the government’s target of doubling farmers’ income by 2022 seems a distant dream, citing the NSS Land and Livestock holdings of Households and Situation Assessment of Agricultural Households, 2018-19 report released earlier this month.

It added the average outstanding loan per agricultural household has increased to Rs 74,121 in 2018 from Rs 47,000 in 2013. This shows deep farm distress, the union added.

The farmer protests have completed 300 days on Wednesday and show no signs of abating. SKM, an umbrella of 40 farmer organisations which is leading the agitation effort against the three controversial farm laws promulgated by the government last year, in a statement said the movement is a testimony to the will and determination of lakhs of farmers across the country and it will only grow stronger.

The 40 farmer led by SKM have given a call for Bharat band or ‘complete shutdown’ on September to make the movement stronger.

“Various sections of the society are being reached out to by farmers’ outfits in different parts of the country to get their support and solidarity to the farmers’ cause, which is also becoming a movement to protect India’s democracy,” the SKM said in a statement.

SKM said the workers unions, trade unions, employees’ and students’ unions, women’s organisations and transporters’ associations are joining the movement and will help in planning the shutdown.

SKM said Kisan Mahapanchayats are being organised to to get more people to join the movement. Cycle and motorcycle rallies will also be organised, it added