Rail traffic across Punjab was severely disrupted on Thursday as farmers held a two-hour ‘rail roko’ protest to mark the third anniversary of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. The protest, organized by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM, non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), saw farmers block rail tracks to demand justice for the victims of the 2021 incident and push for a legal guarantee on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops, among other demands.
The demonstration, which began at 12:30 Pm, halted train services at several key locations, stranding thousands of passengers. The farmers’ primary demands include justice for the Lakhimpur Kheri victims, MSP guarantees, loan waivers, and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations to improve the livelihoods of farmers.
On October 3, 2021, eight people, including four farmers, were killed during a protest against the controversial farm laws at Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, after being run over by vehicles linked to a the Union Minister’s convoy. The incident has remained a sore point for farmers, who continue to demand legal action against those responsible.
KMM convener Sarwan Singh Pandher, leading the protests near Amritsar, criticized the Central and State Governments for ignoring the plight of farmers. “The Lakhimpur Kheri victims deserve justice, and our demands have been ignored for too long,” Pandher said.
In Amritsar, farmers blocked the Amritsar-Delhi rail track near Manawala railway station, forcing the diversion of several trains. Other key locations saw similar disruptions, including Ludhiana, where farmers occupied rail tracks at Sahnewal and Phillaur railway stations, halting the Durg-Udhampur and New Delhi-Lohian Khas express trains.
In Hoshiarpur, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Doaba) workers blocked a railroad crossing in Mandiala village, halting a passenger train en route to Jalandhar. Further protests were reported in Jalandhar, where Kisan Mazdoor Hitkari Sabha members blocked the Jalandhar-Jammu rail section, causing delays to a goods train at Mukerian railway station.
Thousands of commuters faced delays as a result of the protest, with many stranded at stations for hours. “We’ve been waiting for over two hours with no information,” a commuter at Ludhiana station said. Some passengers expressed frustration, while others voiced support for the farmers’ cause, even if inconvenienced.
The protest officially ended at 2:30 pm, but the effects continued to be felt for the remainder of the day, as officials struggled to restore normal rail services. Several trains remained delayed into the evening, and railway authorities estimated that full service restoration could take additional time.
The rail blockade is part of a broader movement by the SKM and KMM, which has been ongoing since February. Farmers have been protesting at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana, pressing for their demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP.
Despite the repeal of the farm laws in late 2021, farmers continue to push for more substantial reforms. “Our fight is far from over,” said Pandher, adding, “We will continue our protests until our demands are met.”
