Despite heavy police deployment, farmers disrupt train services

A statewide 'Rail Roko' call by farmer organisations on Friday triggered disruptions in several parts of the region as activists attempted to block rail tracks at several locations, prompting heavy police deployment and a series of preventive detentions.

The protest, organised between 1 pm and 3 pm by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and allied groups, sought to press demands, including repeal of the Electricity Amendment Bill-2025, legal guarantee on the MSP, and withdrawal of prepaid smart meters.

Hundreds of farmers belonging to the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee led by Sarwan Singh Baupur gathered on tracks near village Dadwindi in Kapurthala district, leading to delays for trains passing through the sector before the police intervened to restore the movement.

Several activists belonging to the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha managed to sit on the tracks at Malsian even as the police prevented blockades at Jalandhar Cantt station, keeping major routes operational. The Malsian obstruction caused brief disruption for several passenger and freight services until additional police forces arrived and removed the protesters.

The police detained several farmer leaders to prevent the escalation. BKU (Doaba) president Manjit Singh Rai was taken into custody along with about 10 supporters after they attempted to stage a sit-in inside the Jalandhar Cantt station area.

In Phagwara, Bhartiya Kisan Union( Doaba) circle in-charge Kulwinder Singh Athouli and general secretary Satnam Singh Sahni were placed under house arrest earlier in the day as a precautionary measure.

However the law-and-order situation remained largely peaceful despite tense standoffs and the Rail Roko call concluded at 3 pm with rail traffic gradually returning to normal. Farmer unions, however, signalled continued mobilisation, announcing protests against prepaid smart meters on December 10, sit-ins outside all Deputy Commissioner offices on December 17–18, and a full-scale Rail Roko on December 19 if their demands remain unmet, indicating a potentially intensified confrontation in the days ahead.