Farmers staged road blockades across Punjab on Monday as part of a statewide bandh, disrupting traffic in multiple areas. The bandh, called from 7 AM to 4 PM on December 30, caused significant commuter inconvenience, with protests particularly impacting key routes like the Patiala-Chandigarh National Highway, where farmers held a sit-in at Dhareri Jattan Toll Plaza.
The shutdown was organized by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, citing the Centre’s failure to meet the demands of protesting farmers. At Amritsar’s Golden Gate, farmers gathered at the city’s entry point, while in Rampura Phul, Bathinda, roads were blocked.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher assured that essential services would not be affected. “The bandh will be observed from 7 AM to 4 PM, but emergency services like airport travel, job interviews, and weddings are exempt,” Pandher said, according to PTI.
The Punjab bandh also severely impacted train services, with the Railways canceling 150 trains, including prominent ones like the Vande Bharat and Shatabdi Express.
Hunger Strike by Jagjit Singh Dallewal
Amid the bandh, 70-year-old farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s hunger strike entered its 35th day. Dallewal has refused medical treatment, stating he will not end his fast until the government meets the farmers’ demands. The Supreme Court has given the Punjab government until December 31 to convince him to move to a hospital, even allowing the state to seek logistical support from the Centre if required.
Farmers, under the banners of SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been protesting at the Punjab-Haryana border since February 13 after security forces blocked their march to Delhi. A group of 101 farmers tried to march to Delhi on foot three times between December 6 and 14 but were stopped by Haryana authorities.
The farmers are demanding a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) for crops, along with a debt waiver, pension, no increase in electricity tariffs, withdrawal of police cases, and justice for victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
