Due to the ‘bandh’ called by farmers in Punjab, life was affected across the state on Monday. Farmers are protesting against the Center here demanding legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.
The bandh organized from 7 am to 4 pm was peaceful. During the strike, rail operations in Punjab remained mostly suspended, buses and other vehicles remained off the roads, leaving passengers stranded. Shops and commercial establishments remained closed.
Farmer leaders, who called for the strike more than a week ago, termed it “successful” and thanked “three crore Punjabis for extending full support”.
Amidst the harsh winter and dense fog at some places, farmers staged protests on several roads and highways including Patiala, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Bathinda and Pathankot, disrupting traffic.
Vehicular movement on the Patiala-Chandigarh National Highway was affected due to the farmers’ protest at Dhareri Jattan toll plaza. Farmers staged a protest at the ‘Golden Gate’ of Amritsar. Police arranged ‘auto rickshaws’ to help some foreign tourists stranded there and took them to the Golden Temple.
At some places, passengers were seen arguing with the protesting farmers blocking the road.
Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha had last week called for a statewide strike after the Center did not accept farmers’ demand for a legal guarantee for MSP.
The bandh was also called to express solidarity with farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been fasting at the farmers’ protest site at Khanauri border for the last 35 days.
After the bandh, Dallewal thanked the people of Punjab for supporting the bandh and making it “successful”. In a video message, he said that the Center should pay attention to their demands.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher told reporters in Amritsar that emergency and other essential services were allowed to continue operating. He said that people going to the airport, giving job interviews or attending wedding ceremonies have been exempted amid the bandh call.
After the bandh period ended, Pandher said, “Punjabi has won. On behalf of both the forums (leading the protests in Shambhu and Khanauri), I would like to thank three crore Punjabis for extending their full support to the bandh.” He also said that vegetable markets, grain markets and petrol pumps also remained closed. He said, “All establishments remained closed. The bandh was successful and Punjabis gave full support to Dallewal Saheb.”
Earlier, Pandher had said, “Train services are also completely suspended and no trains are entering Punjab.”
Pandher claimed to have support for the strike from transporters, employee unions, business organizations and religious organizations. He said the impact of the bandh was seen at more than 250 places across the state. He said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders had claimed that common people would not support the bandh, “but three crore Punjabis have responded”.
Farmers sat on the tracks at many places, due to which the Railways had to cancel several trains passing through the state. Passengers remained stranded at stations in Firozpur, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Bathinda.
A cancer patient, resident of Gujarat, remained stranded at the railway station of Firozpur. His wife told that he had to go to Himachal Pradesh to get some medicines, but train services are affected and they are in limbo.
In Phagwara, farmers staged a protest near Sugar Mill Crossing on NH-44 and blocked the roads leading to Nakodar, Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahr from here. Dharna was also held at Behram toll plaza on Phagwara-Banga road and grain markets remained closed at many places.
Public transport remained closed on the roads at many places, while most private bus operators also suspended their services. Many private long distance buses and trucks carrying fruits and vegetables were stranded due to the bandh.
In Ludhiana district, only a few shops opened in markets like Chauda Bazaar, Saban Bazaar, Vishwakarma Chowk, Gill Road and Sarabha Nagar. The main bus stand of the city remained completely empty. Except a few medicine shops, all other shops remained closed in Bathinda. Roads from Bathinda district to Amritsar, Sriganganagar and Muktsar were blocked by BKU Sidhupur workers.
Addressing the farmers, their leader Ram Singh Deon said, “This is a fight for our crops and our future generations.”
All business establishments remained closed in Kapurthala and Jalandhar also. Handcarts and rickshaws were not seen on the roads at many places in the state. Banks were open but empty, while government offices and institutions were largely deserted. Arrangements for tea and ‘dal-prasad’ were made for the protesters. The bandh also affected some neighboring areas of the state including Ambala.
Hundreds of daily commuters traveling from Ambala to Chandigarh, Mohali, Patiala and other nearby cities of Punjab were stranded. Many outside students studying in coaching centers in Chandigarh faced difficulty in reaching their destination.
Farmers under the banner of SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after they were stopped from entering Delhi by security forces.
Apart from MSP, farmers are also demanding loan waiver, pension, no increase in electricity rates, withdrawal of police cases and ‘justice’ for the victims of Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
