Farm unions block train traffic near Shambhu, seek release of protesters

Mohit Khanna

Patiala, April 17

Farmers under the banner of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) blocked the Delhi-Ambala-Amritsar railway track near the Shambhu border here today.

They were demanding the release of three farmers arrested by the Haryana Police. They said the protest would continue till those farmers were not released. The protest disrupted rail traffic and left thousands of passengers stranded across the state on the festive occasion of Ram Navami.

20 trains diverted, two cancelled

As many as 10 trains from Amritsar and Jammu were diverted. Two trains (Ludhiana-Churu and Churu-Ludhiana) were cancelled. Four trains from Haridwar, Old Delhi, Amritsar and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, Katra, were delayed and reached up to 45 minutes after their scheduled time of arrival. While eight trains heading from other parts of the country, including Delhi, Jayanagar, Durg, Kolkata, Hazur Sahib Nanded and Indore were diverted from Ambala to Chandigarh.

Protest to continue

• Farmers blocked the Delhi-Ambala-Amritsar railway track near the Shambhu border on Wednesday
• They were demanding the release of three farmers arrested by the Haryana Police in March
• They said the protest would continue till those farmers were not released

Will counter BJP candidates

We have also decided that our worker will counter BJP candidates and seek answer on the killing of farmer Shubhkaran Singh, who was shot dead during a protest at Khanauri on February 21 and the arrest of three farmers. Swaran Singh Pandher

Farm leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said the “rail roko” protest was being organised to oppose the arrest of farmers Navdeep Singh, Anish Khatkar and Gurkirat Singh, who were arrested in March.

He said they were implicated in a false case and the protest would continue till the farmers were released by the Haryana Police. “To oppose the arrest, Anish Khatkar has been fasting in the jail for the past 28 days,” he said.

The farmers had first announced a rail roko protest on April 9. However, the plan was shelved following an assurance by the Punjab and Haryana authorities that the farmers would be released by April 16. However, Navdeep, Anish and Gurkirat were not released.

Farmer leaders, led by Amarjit Singh Mohri, Tejvir Singh and Abhimanyu Kohar, said on Tuesday if three farmers were not released, the rail traffic would be blocked. SKM (Non-Political) leaders have also decided to intensify their protest of opposing the BJP candidates during election campaigning.

Pandher said, “We have also decided that our worker will counter BJP candidates and seek their answer on the killing of farmer Shubhkaran Singh, who was shot dead during a protest at Khanauri on February 21 and the arrest of three farmers. If the farmer are not allowed to approach BJP candidates, we will keep showing black flags to the party leaders.”

Pandher said the role of Haryana Police was under lens in the killing of Shubhkaran Singh. “How can we expect an impartial investigation, if a Haryana Police officer is part of the probe team,” Pandher said.

Meanwhile, heavy police deployment was put in place around the Shambhu railway station. Patiala Range DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar and SSP Varun Sharma also reached the protest site and held a meeting with farmer leaders Jagjit Singh Dallewal and others. The meeting, however, remained inconclusive.

Dallewal said, “We do not wish to cause inconvenience to the passengers. But look at us, we are all sitting in scorching heat. We demand that the government should fulfil its promise of a legal guarantee on MSP and release the arrested farmers.”