On Centre’s assurance, Shambhu sit-in over Sikh inmates called off

After staging a day-long dharna near the Shambhu toll barrier on the Ghaggar river, the inter-state boundary between Punjab and Haryana, members of the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha (QIM), Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) called off their protest on Friday evening. The decision came after a meeting with senior Union Home Ministry bureaucrat Prashant S Lokhande, who assured the leaders that their memorandum seeking the release of long-incarcerated Sikh prisoners would be forwarded to the Centre.

The protesters had earlier planned to march to the national capital to hand over the memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They had also declared that if stopped by security forces, they would stage a sit-in on the spot. Heavy barricading and restrictions were put in place by Haryana authorities in anticipation of the march.

The presence of several prominent farmer leaders at the dharna heightened concern within the Punjab Police and intelligence agencies. Among those who joined the protest were Dr Darshan Pal, Sarwan Singh Pandher, Harinder Singh Lakhowal, Justice Ranjit Singh (retd), Satnam Singh Behru, Manjit Singh Rai and Butta Singh Burjgill, along with other representatives from key unions.

QIM spokesperson Balwinder Singh, who also heads the Lok Adhikar Lehar, said the turnout reflected growing support. “We are humbled by the massive presence at the Shambhu border. Since the wheat sowing season is on, we will soon meet farmer unions at Kisan Bhawan in Chandigarh to decide the next course of action,” he said.

The dharna, which began around 11 am, ended at 5.30 pm, after which traffic on the highway was restored. “The Joint Secretary assured us of putting forward all our demands to Home Minister Amit Shah. As our primary aim was to hand over the memorandum, we have called off the stir,” Balwinder said.

However, he clarified that the ongoing dharna at Yadavindra Public School (YPS) Chowk in Mohali would continue.

Balwinder recalled that Prime Minister Modi had announced in 2019 the release of Sikh prisoners incarcerated for over three decades, but none had been let off so far. The QIM has been holding a continuous sit-in at YPS Chowk since January 7, 2023, demanding action on the announcement.

Earlier in the day, QIM supporters, joined by several farmer unions, were stopped at the Punjab-Haryana border as they attempted to march towards Delhi. The protesters said they intended to peacefully hand over their memorandum to the PM, Home Minister and MPs. Following a brief standoff with the Haryana Police, they remained camped at the border until the senior central official arrived for talks, paving the way for the withdrawal of the agitation.

The protest and the traffic restrictions imposed from 6 am to 6 pm caused widespread disruption, leaving thousands of commuters headed to and from Delhi, Haryana and Punjab stranded. Many were forced to take longer detours.

Rajpura town was turned into a fortress, with heavy police deployment on both sides of the highway as activists gathered in large numbers at the Shambhu border. Traffic between Rajpura and Shambhu was completely halted. Commuters travelling towards Ambala and Delhi were diverted through Patran and Ghanaur, while those from Mohali and Chandigarh were advised to take the Ambala-Zirakpur route.