Farmers across Punjab are staging widespread road and rail blockades on Monday as part of a state-wide bandh, paralysing commuter and freight movement.
The shutdown, to be observed from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., was called by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha to press the central government to meet their demands, including a legal guarantee for a minimum support price (MSP) for crops
Farmers have blocked key routes, including Airport Road at IISER Chowk in Mohali, Kurali Road Toll Plaza, Ambala-Delhi Highway Toll Plaza near Lalru, and the Kharar-Morinda Highway. Major highways and marketplaces across Punjab also remained shut.
Over 200 locations across the state witnessed roadblocks, causing significant disruptions. In Amritsar, protesters assembled near the Golden Gate entryd point, while in Bathinda's Rampura Phul, major roads were blocked.
Railway services were hit as the farmers’ ‘Rail Roko Andolan’ led to the cancellation of 163 trains, with 19 others short-terminated, 15 short-originated, 15 delayed, and nine halted en route.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher has assured that emergency services, including flights, medical needs, and wedding or job interview-related travel, were excluded from the bandh.
To maintain law and order, around 600 police personnel were deployed across Punjab's Mohali district, with senior police officers monitoring the situation closely.
Meanwhile, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s hunger strike entered its 35th day. Dallewal, 70, has refused medical treatment and vowed to continue his fast until the government agrees to the farmers' demands.
Earlier, the Supreme Court directed the Punjab government to persuade Dallewal to end his fast-unto-death and seek medical care, granting it the option to seek the Centre's assistance if needed.
Besides the MSP guarantee, farmers are 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.
The ongoing agitation has seen farmers camping at the Punjab-Haryana border since February 13, after being stopped during their march to Delhi.
Despite several attempts to march on foot to the national capital earlier this month, protesting farmers were blocked by Haryana's security forces.
Source: India Today