Scores of passengers stranded as bus, rail services hit by bandh call

A statewide bandh called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha brought daily life in the city to a halt, with rail and road transport services severely disrupted. The protest, demanding a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP), a longstanding issue for farmers, caused significant inconvenience to commuters across the region.

The bandh left hundreds of passengers stranded at the city’s railway station and bus stand, with no choice but to wait for services to resume. There were 163 trains canceled, including the Vande Bharat Express. Additionally, 19 trains were short-terminated, 15 short-originated, and 15 delayed. Nine trains, including the Jhelum Express from Pune to Jammu Tawi, were halted at stations with basic amenities for passengers.

At Jalandhar’s railway station, hundreds of passengers were left stranded Elderly devotees traveling to Patna Sahib for Gurpurab celebrations expressed frustration with the disruption. “While we support the farmers’ cause, such interruptions cause inconvenience to the public,” said Kulwant Kaur, a passenger. She added, “We knew about the bandh but weren’t sure when our train would arrive, so we decided to wait at the station. The protests harass the public, and the government remains indifferent.”

Bus services also suffered severe disruptions, leaving commuters stranded. Mahesh Kumar from Uttar Pradesh, who was trying to reach Ambala, lamented, “I didn’t check the reports about the bandh before planning my journey. Now, I’m stuck here.”

To maintain public order, Commissioner of Police Swapan Sharma conducted inspections at critical points in the city, accompanied by senior officers. Approximately 1,200 police personnel were deployed across 24 key locations to ensure safety and prevent disruptions. Sharma also focused on ensuring that essential services remained operational and that service lanes on highways stayed open.

A minor altercation between farmers and the police over pedestrian movement was reported at Dhanowali, where farmers were staging a protest. However, the issue was quickly resolved, allowing stranded passengers to proceed.

Despite the disruptions, the authorities managed to maintain a semblance of order while protesters continued to voice their demands.