The second day of the Punjab farmers' protest, focused on seeking compensation for flood-related losses, saw a significant impact on transportation services, with disruptions to train operations and the blockage of the Chandigarh-Ambala National Highway.
A substantial number of farmers gathered on railway tracks in various parts of Punjab, staging protests and obstructing train services. Simultaneously, another group of farmers staged a blockade on the Chandigarh-Ambala National Highway as part of their demonstration. Their key demands encompassed seeking financial relief for flood-induced losses, the establishment of a legal assurance for minimum support prices (MSP), and a comprehensive cancellation of agricultural debts.
The protest, which is part of a three-day 'rail roko' campaign, involved farmers taking over the Amritsar-Delhi railway track in Devidas Pura. In Hoshiarpur, members of the Azad Kisan Committee, Doaba, held a dharna at the local railway station. Railway officials reported several train cancellations and diversions, while some trains had to be shortened due to the ongoing agitation.
The protest spanned across 17 locations in Punjab, including Moga, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Tarn Taran, Sangrur, Patiala, Ferozepur, Bathinda, and Amritsar. A faction of farmers aligned with BKU (Sidhupur) also staged a blockade on the Chandigarh-Ambala National Highway near Lalru, Punjab, and parked their tractors along the highway. Both sides of the highway were blocked, leading to traffic diversions through alternate routes, according to a Punjab Police official.
Harpal Singh Sangha, State President of the Azad Kisan Committee, Doaba, confirmed that their agitation would persist until September 30. In the event that their demands remain unmet by that date, further actions will be contemplated, he added.
The protest has left many rail passengers stranded in Punjab and Haryana, causing considerable inconvenience to travelers. One distressed passenger at Ludhiana railway station, en route to Patna, expressed frustration over the uncertainty surrounding their travel plans, emphasizing that the matter should be resolved between the Central government and the farmers to avoid passenger harassment.
The disruption in rail movement has had cascading effects, as it stranded numerous railway passengers, particularly those bound for destinations such as Delhi, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh, at the Ambala Cantonment Railway Station in Haryana on Thursday night.
A coalition of farmer groups, including the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Bharti Kisan Union (Krantikari), BKU (Ekta Azaad), Azaad Kisan Committee Doaba, BKU (Behramke), BKU (Shaheed Bhagat Singh), and BKU (Chottu Ram), actively participated in the protest. Their core demands encompassed the allocation of a financial relief package for individuals affected by floods in North India, the institution of a legally binding MSP for all crops, and the complete waiver of agricultural debts.
These demands also include a Rs 50,000-crore flood relief package for North Indian states, adherence to the MSP rates recommended by the Swaminathan Commission report, and the cancellation of all farmer and laborer debts. Additionally, the protesters call for Rs 10 lakh in compensation and government employment for the families of farmers who lost their lives during the agitation against the now-repealed three farm laws.
