Police action on farmers at Shambhu border brings to fore rural-urban divide 

The arrest of farmer leaders and eviction of protesting farmers from the Shambhu border has brought to the fore the rural and urban divide over the issue.

The detention of farmer leaders has triggered protests in Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur.

While farmers staged a statewide protests, the urban population — particularly traders, industrialists and commuters — has largely hailed the move.

Farmers staging statewide protests

The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) has announced nationwide protest outside the offices of Deputy Commissioners. Few farmer leaders are announcing "chakka jam" across the state to register their protest against the detention of farmer leaders Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher, among others. Such announcements are being made at the village level. Farmers are being told to block the nearest roads.

Industrialists heave a sigh of relief

On the other hand, industrialists have said that the opening of highway will give a flip to the economy of the state and boost tourism. The year-long blockage has caused irreparable loss to the trade and industry and left thousands of commuters stranded.

The sources said the action followed after traders in Ludhiana told AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal that it would be difficult for AAP to get votes in the Ludhiana West Assembly byelection if the farmers’ protest did not end.

Farmers justify their actions

Farmer union leaders were maintaining that they had not blocked the highway and blamed the BJP-led Union Government and state government in Haryana for stopping them from marching forward, following which they had to hold a morcha at Shambhu and Khanauri.

So far, seven rounds of meetings have been held between the 28-member farmer delegation and the government panel. And the next meeting is scheduled for May 4.

Notices sent to farm leaders

Hours after the police crackdown clearing Shambhu and Khanauri borders, the Haryana Police sent notices at the houses of farmer leaders Jasmeet Singh and Tejveer Singh.  The leaders have been asked to appear before SIT today that is probing the case registered against them in 2024. The notice reads that the failure to appear before the SIT would invite legal action.

Nine members of the SKM All-India, consisting of leaders including Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Balbir Singh Rajewal, Dr Darshan Pal and Harinder Singh Lakhowal, will hold meetings today to decide the next course of action.

Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on hunger strike since November 26, was taken to Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PMIS), Jalandhar, where he refused to receive treatment. Thereafter, he was taken to PWD rest house in Jalandhar.

Some of the detained farmers had also gone on hunger strike.

Farm leaders try to mobilise nationwide support  

Terming the police crackdown as unprecedented, farmer union leader Rakesh Tikait has urged the farmer unions from across the country to unite, saying the governments would otherwise continue to quell the protest of farmers and facilitate corporates.

Satnam Singh Pannu, president of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, said that the police action had shown that instead of “badlaav”, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann was doing “badle ki rajniti”.

Many farmers detained from Khanauri last night have been kept at a marriage palace in Pattran.

In the meantime, Internet services remained suspended in Sangrur and Patiala districts.

Haryana removes cemented barricades

Haryana security personnel on Thursday morning started removing cemented barricades, which were erected to prevent the Punjab farmers from heading to Delhi.

JCB machines have been deployed to remove the concrete blocks to clear the Shambhu-Ambala road, which remained closed for over a year.

The Haryana security officials had fortified their border with Punjab with cement blocks, iron nails and barbed wire to scuttle any attempt by farmers from Punjab to move towards the capital as part of their 'Delhi chalo' programme.

The police also dismantled temporary structures and stages put up at these two sites using JCB machines.

The Punjab Police on Wednesday detained several farmer leaders, including Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal, in Mohali as they were returning after a meeting with a central delegation led by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Chandigarh.

The police also evicted the agitating farmers from the Shambhu and Khanauri protest sites, which had been blocked for more than a year.

The police also dismantled temporary structures and stages put up at these two sites using JCB machines.

The national highway on the Shambhu border that had been blocked for the past 399 days (since February 13, 2024) for traffic was almost cleared with police personnel dismantling the stage and the tent city. The process of removing tractor-trailers parked at the Khanauri border was also going on when the reports last came in.

While around 200 farmers were detained at Khanauri, more than 100 were apprehended at Shambhu. At both locations, the police faced mild resistance from protesters.

Before initiating the drive, the DIG appealed to the farmers to vacate the site following which he sent police personnel to carry out searches and detain any farmer found hiding in tents.

SSP Nanak Singh, two AIGs and an SP supervised the operation at Shambhu.

Besides evicting the farmers, the police used bulldozers to dismantle the tents at both locations.

Sources said the police had received Intelligence input that due to the meeting in Chandigarh, the presence of farmers was thin at the protest sites.

A heavy police buildup was witnessed in Sangrur and Patiala also. Reserve police personnel were deployed around the Shambu and Khanauri borders to tackle any eventuality.

The farmers’ protests were centred around demands for a legal guarantee on the Minimum Support Price for crops, among other issues. Over 45 farmers have died and nearly 500 were injured in the year-long protest as both the national highways remained blocked since February 2024, paralysing trade and posing inconvenience to commuters.