SKM bandh call: Buses stay off roads in Punjab : Farmers stage dharnas at toll plazas in Haryana

Many farmer bodies including BKU (Rajewal), BKU (Dakunda), BKU (Lakhowal), BKU (Qadian) and Kirti Kisan Union are taking part in the bandh.

PTI, Amritsar/Hisar/ Muzaffarnagar, Feb 16, 2024 : Commuters in Punjab faced inconvenience on Friday as buses stayed off the roads in response to the Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s call for a ‘Bharat Bandh’ to press the government to accept farmers’ demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP.

Markets and commercial establishments at several places in the state also remained shut while farmers held demonstrations at many places and blocked national highways in Pathankot, Tarn Taran, Bathinda and Jalandhar. They raised slogans against the Centre for not accepting their demands.

In Haryana’s Hisar, the Haryana Roadways services were paralysed as its employees supported the ‘Bharat Bandh’ and stayed away from work.

Members of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) staged dharnas at several toll plazas in Haryana and forced authorities not to charge toll tax from commuters.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait participated in a protest in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar in support of the farmers’ demands.

Many farmer bodies including BKU (Rajewal), BKU (Dakunda), BKU (Lakhowal), BKU (Qadian) and Kirti Kisan Union are taking part in the bandh.

In Punjab, Punjab Roadways, Punbus and PRTC Contract Workers’ Union also supported the bandh call. They are protesting against the Centre’s proposed hit-and-run law.

Private bus operators were also not plying buses.

Passengers were seen waiting for buses at many bus stands to reach their respective destinations.

Mainly students and office-goers faced inconvenience because of the non-availability of buses.

At the Patiala bus stand, a college student said he could not find any bus to go to Landran road.

A government employee said he had to go to Mohali for work but no bus was available.

At the Amritsar bus stand, a woman passenger who had to go to Jalandhar said she had been waiting for more than 30 minutes for a bus.

Satbir Kaur (32), a resident of Zira, said she could not go to her office due to the bandh.

“I travel from Zira to Ferozepur every day but no bus was available today so I had to take leave,” she said.

In Ferozepur, most educational institutions and business establishments remained closed and markets wore a deserted look.

Protesting farmers blocked roads at various points, including Golu Ka Mour village situated on the Ferozepur-Fazilka road, Bangali Wala bridge on NH-54 in the Makhu area and at Talwandi Bhai underbridge.

Ashok Pasricha, president of Sabji Mandi Aarthiya Association, said traders should support farmers during this critical time as most of the business depends on farmers.

“Today all the shops are closed in support of the farmers,” he said.

Narinder Singh Kesar, president of Recognised and Affiliated Schools Association (RASA), said schools are closed and only students of classes 10 and 12, who are appearing for their annual exams, are coming.

Harbans Singh, BKU (Rajewal) district president, said the farmers’ intention is not to trouble anyone. “We are fighting for our rights,” he said.

In Ludhiana, bus stands in Samrala and Khanna Jagraon wore a deserted look.

BKU (Rajewal) president Balbir Singh Rajewal held a sit-in at the toll plaza in Samrala.

In Amritsar, the educational institutions run by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) remained shut as the apex gurdwara body supported the bandh call. Many shops also remained shut.

In Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala too, commercial establishments remained shut.

Agitating farmers staged a sit-in in the middle of the road at the DC Chowk and blocked the traffic movement in Kapurthala.

In Phagwara, a group of farmers appealed to shopkeepers to close their shops in support of farmers’ demands.

Banks, educational institutions, pharmacies, government and private hospitals and nursing homes functioned as usual.

Phagwara Superintendent of Police Rupinder Kaur Bhatti said the situation in the district was peaceful.

Haryana Roadways services were paralysed in Hisar as its employees supported the bandh call.

The bandh call failed to evoke any response in Kurukshetra. Shops and markets remained open and buses were plying.

BKU national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait participated in a protest in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar in support of the bandh.

“We are holding the protest to demand implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report and loan waiver (for farmers) etc.,” he told reporters.

Asked about his plans to go to Delhi, Tikait said, “A meeting will be held in Sisauli (Muzaffarnagar) on Saturday where the future course of action will be decided.” Besides a legal guarantee of MSP, the farmers are demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21.