Traffic resumes at Shambhu border after 400 days, Khanauri set to open

After 400 days, traffic resumed on the Shambhu-Ambala highway (NH-19) on Thursday evening as police and civil administration officers from Punjab and Haryana removed blockades set up by farmers affiliated with the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.

Punjab Govt invites SKM for talks

Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian has invited SKM leaders for talks in Chandigarh on Friday. SKM core committee members will meet at Kisan Bhawan before the talks

The Khanauri border point (NH-52) is also expected to open by Friday evening with the authorities working tirelessly to clear hundreds of tractor-trailers stationed there, said Sangrur Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Rishi.

The developments came a day after the Punjab Police launched a crackdown on protesting farmers, detaining over 400. Most detainees were shifted to jails in Patiala, Nabha, Sangrur and Mansa, although nearly 160 farmers were released this evening.

Meanwhile, despite calls for nationwide protests against the crackdown, farmer turnout remained low. Attempts to block highways and march to DC offices by supporters of the SKM (Non-Political) and KMM were largely unsuccessful, with a mild scuffle reported at Bughipura Chowk in Moga. Hundreds of farmers were detained at various locations in Bathinda, Mansa, Muktsar, Malout, Fazilka, Sangrur, Ferozepur and Tarn Taran.

Farmer unions like the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan), BKU (Dakaunda Dhaner) and Kirti Kisan Union also held protests at several locations. Rajinder Singh Deepsinghwala of the Kirti Kisan Union warned that the government’s repression would have political consequences.

On Wednesday, key farm union leaders, including Jagjit Singh Dallewal, were detained after a meeting with central ministers in Chandigarh. Dallewal, who was taken to Jalandhar in the early hours on Thursday, has reportedly refused medical aid. His supporters said he had even stopped consuming water.

The farmers had been protesting at the two towns bordering Haryana since February 13 last year, when the Nayab Singh Saini government stopped them from marching to Delhi by erecting concrete barricades at the borders. The lifting of the blockade has brought relief to traders and industrialists from Ludhiana and Jalandhar, who claimed they suffered daily losses of around Rs 1,000 crore during the agitation.

On the political front, the crackdown on protesting farmers evoked strong reactions. The Congress accused the government of high-handedness, while BJP state chief Sunil Jakhar criticised both Congress and AAP for “exploiting farmers for political gains”. AAP ministers, including Harpal Cheema, Kuldeep Dhaliwal, Tarunpreet Singh Sond and Laljit Singh Bhullar, expressed support for farmers, but emphasised the need to protect Punjab’s economy. They accused the Congress of political opportunism, while urging farmers to direct their protests against the BJP-led Centre.

Authorities in the corridors of power were closely monitoring the situation to gauge whether there was any significant public support or growing momentum in favour of the farmers.