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Farmers’ bandh throws life out of gear in Punjab; rail, bus services suspended
Call for shutdown from 7am to 4pm given by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha over the Centre not acting on the farmers’ demand for a legal guarantee for MSP.
Farmers blocked roads at many places across Doaba region in response to their Punjab Bandh call on Monday, crippling traffic on national and state highways, while shops remained closed in Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar districts.
The call for a shutdown from 7am to 4pm was given last week by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha over the Centre not acting on the farmers’ demand for a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP).
Markets associations at several places volunteered to keep their establishments closed in the wake of the farmers’ call.
Public and private buses remained off road and even transport unions parked vehicles on the roadside in view of farmers’ protest.
In Jalandhar, farmers staged protest at five locations, including outside Jang-e-Azadi near Kartarpur, Dhanowali railway crossing, and the national highway in Phillaur, Nakodar and Bhogpur.
In Kapurthala, the national highway was blocked near Phagwara and Dhareri Jattan toll plaza, which affected traffic on the Patiala-Chandigarh national highway.
In Hoshiarpur, farmer unions and their supporters blocked main entry points of the city and sat on dharna.
In Phagwara, farmers staged a dharna near the Sugarmill crossing on NH-44, blocking the roads leading from Phagwara towards Nakodar, Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahr. They also staged a dharna at Behram toll plaza on Phagwara-Banga road.
Grain markets were shut in several places.
At Amritsar’s Golden Gate, farmers started assembling near the city’s entry point since morning, while in Bathinda’s Rampura Phul, they blocked roads.
Emergency, essential services allowed
Manjit Singh Rai, the general secretary of Bharti Kisan Union (Doaba), said they are only allowing emergency vehicles to pass.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher told reporters in Amritsar that emergency and other essential services would be allowed to operate.
He said anyone travelling to the airport to catch a flight anyone going to attend a job interview, or anyone needing to attend a wedding, will be allowed.
“All establishments are closed. Punjabis have shown their unity today and they are extending full support,” Pandher claimed.
“We are seeing a successful bandh. Train services are also completely suspended and no train is entering Punjab,” he said.
Bandh impacts neighbouring Haryana, too
The bandh’s impact was also seen in some neighbouring areas of the state, including Ambala. Hundreds of daily commuters travelling from Ambala to Chandigarh, Mohali, Patiala and other nearby cities of Punjab were thrown off stride because of the shutdown.
Buses took alternate routes to go from Ambala to Chandigarh as they had to cross a stretch of the national highway that passes through Punjab.
Sangeeta, who commutes every day from Ambala to Zirakpur for her work, was waiting for a bus at Ambala Cantt in Haryana.
All buses going towards Chandigarh from Ambala were too crowded, she said.
Many outsiders studying in various coaching centres in Chandigarh faced a tough time reaching their destinations.
Dallewal’s fast enters Day 35
Meanwhile, 70-year-old farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s hunger strike entered its 35th day on Monday.
Dallewal has so far refused medical treatment.
Hundreds of farmers have been protesting at the Punjab-Haryana border demanding a legal guarantee of a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
Dallewal had earlier said he would not break his fast until the government agreed to the farmers’ demands.
The apex court has given the Punjab government time till December 31 to persuade Dallewal to shift to a hospital, granting the state the liberty to seek logistical support from the Centre, if necessary.
Farmers, under the banner of SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13, after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
A “jatha” (group) of 101 farmers attempted to march to Delhi on foot three times between December 6 and 14 but were stopped by security personnel from Haryana.
Besides the MSP, farmers are also demanding a debt waiver, pension, no hike in electricity tariffs, withdrawal of police cases, and “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence. (With PTI inputs)
