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Chandigarh: Protesters still avoid Sector-25 rally ground
According to the protesters, the site is in state of poor condition with no amenities nearby. There are no shops for purchasing water and no public toilets
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Years back, even as the UT administration earmarked Sector 25 protest site for holding demonstrations and rallies, the rule is rarely observed. Most recent major protests in the city have occurred at more central locations, such as the Sector 34 Exhibition Ground or the Matka Chowk in Sector 16. Even the recent week-long farmers’ protest was halted on the road leading into Chandigarh from Jagatpura Village in Mohali.
According to the protesters, the site is in state of poor condition with no amenities nearby. There are no shops for purchasing water and no public toilets.
Speaking on this, farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal who was also present for the week long protest held earlier this month said, “it was a poor choice by the administration to make the protest site right next to the cremation ground which is considered inauspicious in Punjabi culture.”
On asking why most of the recent farmer protests have been held in Sector 34, Rajewal added that the ground is fairly big, centrally located, right next to the offices of Punjab and in the midst of the city’s residents.
“With protests, we want to reach out to the people, tell them about the problems we face, which they are also facing and reach out to the authorities,” he said and added that the current location was chosen to keep protesters out of the city which defeats the point of the protests. He added that the administration should declare the Sector 34 ground as the earmarked site for protests.
Even political parties don’t hold protests in Sector 25. Political outfits of Punjab, Chandigarh and even Haryana hold protests in various parts of the city but they are seldom in Sector 25. Addressing this, local Congress unit president HS Lucky said that the Sector 25 ground can be used for rallies where huge turnouts are expected but it is not feasible for using it for routine protests.
Lucky said, “Protests are held with a certain significance in mind. People need to see the protesters in the city to be made aware of what’s going wrong and how it affects them.” Logistically, he added that protesters have to congregate at a place before they start which is usually at their respective party offices to collect their numbers. Due to this, protests of Chandigarh Congress usually start from Sector 35 and for Punjab Congress they start from Sector 15.
Further, Lucky added that the protesters are usually mindful about not causing too much inconvenience to the local residents. He added that the Sector 25 ground should be used for bigger rallies, and said that Congress had chosen this place for Sonia Gandhi’s rally in 2014.
Over 1,800 rallies held in 2024 & 2025
There were over 1,800 rallies held in 2024 and 2025 as per police data. Data for 2026 however wasn’t available. As per data on an average two to three protests took place every day.
When asked why police allow protests at places other than Sector 25, a senior police official said that their priority is to maintain peace and not to escalate the situation. The recent farmer protests weren’t held with their NOC and the focus is on ensuring everyone’s safety when the protests happen. FIRs were registered in the recent Qaumi Insaaf Morcha protest in August due to protesters wielding swords. The police had to deploy drones to lob tear gas shells and wear special chainmail armour for this protest. Meanwhile, at most other protests water cannons are used by the police to control the situation. Tear gas is rare and only used where things can take a violent turn.
