Emotions ran high in the country’s food basket — Punjab — as the agitating farmers’ bandh call against the Centre’s farm Bills evoked a massive response on Friday, disrupting the normal life due to closures of shops and blockades of roads.
The Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee on Friday announced to extend its “Rail Roko” agitation, that started on Thursday, till September 29 (Tuesday). Earlier, the three-day agitation was scheduled to end on September 26 (Saturday).
“We have decided to extend our agitation till September 29. We want the government to resolve the issue of farm Bills,” said Committee president Satnam Singh Pannu.
People from all walks of life, including actors, singers, even political leaders cutting across party lines, extended their support to the farmers’ agitation. As per reports, the protests were held at 125 places across the State hitting the supply of essential commodities at several places.
In Bathinda, Jalandhar, Patiala, Moga, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Barnala, Faridkot, Muktsar, Mansa, and other districts of Malwa belt, the protests brought the life to a standstill. “Protests were held at 125 places in Punjab,” said the leaders of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee — an umbrella body of over 250 farmer and farm-worker organizations — claiming that during the protests, all main highways in the State were blocked by the farmers.
As the protestors started their ‘rail roko’ agitation from Thursday, the agitating farmers blocked roads in Patiala, Mohali, Moga, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Barnala, Faridkot, Muktsar, Mansa, Bathinda and other districts — affecting vehicular and rail traffic across the state.
The railway officials said that the “Rail Roko” agitation in Punjab over farm Bills has badly affected the transportation of food grains and other essential goods. It has also affected the movement of passengers, many travelling for emergencies in the special trains.
Similarly, the transportation of goods through trucks has also badly affected due to the farmers’ agitation as it has completely stopped it. Many freight and parcel trains have also been rescheduled by the railway authorities in the Ferozepur division. All public transport, like buses, taxis and tempos, were not plying on the roads.
Largely confined to the rural areas in the state, the day long protest found its way into the cities and towns of the state as the farmers spilled over the roads in urban segments. Several prominent markets in Patiala, Mansa, Jalandhar, Bathinda, Ludhiana, Moga, Hoshiarpur, among others observed the closure of shops.