Punjab farmers’ strike has huge impact, 172 trains including Vande Bharat cancelled
# News Bureau December 30,2024
The shutdown called by farmers’ organisations over their demands, including a legal guarantee for MSP (Minimum Support Price) for crops, had a massive impact on Punjab on Monday. However, emergency services remained open. Roads were blocked and trains were halted at over 250 places in the state during the shutdown that lasted from 7 am to 4 pm.
172 rail services, including Vande Bharat, were cancelled and 232 affected. The railways is estimated to have suffered a revenue loss of lakhs. Industries too have lost crores due to units not operating or operating partially. The shutdown was called in support of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal who has been on a hunger strike for over a month now demanding implementation of farmers’ demands.
Farmers, including women and old people, sat on the roads. Shops remained closed in many cities. Most national highways remained closed in many cities and towns. This badly affected the movement of daily wagers and office goers. The nine-hour bandh was in effect till 4 pm. However, there were no reports of any untoward incident. Police asked motorists to avoid travelling or use link roads to reach their destinations.
ISSER Road (Mohali) leading to Airport Road was blocked by farmers. Earlier, the farmer leader had said that “farmer union leaders are staging a chakka jam on roads and rail lines till 4 pm. Only emergency vehicles, such as ambulances, wedding vehicles, or persons with a serious emergency will be allowed to pass.”
Apart from Mohali, shops and business establishments were reported to be closed from Patiala, Ludhiana, Moga, Ferozepur, Bathinda, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar and other places. The impact of the shutdown is more effective in rural areas, where farmers carrying flags of their organisation blocked almost all roads. Most private buses remained off the roads in Punjab as private bus transporters joined the strike. Many schools and offices have declared a holiday in view of the shutdown call.
However, the bandh had no effect in Chandigarh. Meanwhile, Dallewal’s hunger strike entered the 35th day on Monday. A delegation led by retired Additional Director General of Police Jaskaran Singh had met Dallewal on Sunday evening to persuade the fasting leader to end his fast. However, the efforts were unsuccessful.
Samyukt Kisan Morcha chief Sarwan Singh Pandher on Monday urged the Punjab government not to “misuse” its power against farmers and instead support them in their fight for their demands.
On the strong support for the bandh, Sarwan Singh Pandher said, “Three crore Punjabis have joined this protest, and about 95-97 per cent of traffic has come to a halt across Punjab. At Golden Gate, langar was organised since 5 pm. Roads are reported to be blocked at several places in Amritsar to support the issue.”
On his demands, Pandher said, “MSP guarantee is essential for the country’s economy and the health of its farmers. Our demands also include loan waiver, 200 days of work under NREGA, daily wages of Rs 700 for labourers and implementation of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution.”
He said, “It is not just about farmers; it is about shopkeepers facing losses due to online businesses, privatisation of education and healthcare, and other issues.” Pandher criticised the Punjab government and urged it to support farmers instead of misusing police forces, referring to past incidents like the Behbal Kalan firing. He said the Punjab government should not misuse the police.
