Police seal Punjab border, locals suffer

Commuters suffered for hours as the Kaithal police sealed the border with Punjab at Tatiana and Sangatpura checkpoints on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, completely halting traffic on the route.

The step was taken to prevent Punjab farmers from entering the state to attend a mahapanchayat in Uchana in Jind. The barricades were removed on Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, heavy deployment of police, including paramilitary forces, has been put in place to maintain law and order in the region.

The closure of border disrupted the traffic flow, causing inconvenience to commuters using the highway. Commuters were forced to take alternative routes, which were in a poor condition, adding to their troubles. “The inter-state border was sealed at two places as a precautionary measure. We installed barricades and deployed paramilitary forces and the police. The barricades were lifted in the afternoon,” said SP Rajesh Kalia, adding the arrangements were made for the diversion of traffic to minimise disruptions.

However, resentment prevailed among local residents, commuters and farmers over the closure of the route. Farmers have been protesting for over seven months at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders under the banners of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha. These farmer unions had called for the mahapanchayat in Uchana on Sunday to press for their demands.

Farmers expressed discontent over the blockade. “A peaceful mahapanchayat was planned in Uchana, but the BJP government, fearing the farmers’ gathering, closed all major routes connecting Punjab to Haryana,” Jarnail Singh, a farmer leader said.