Shambu, 14 November — Police halted protesting farmers of the Quami Insaaf Morcha (QIM) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) at the Shambhu border on Friday, preventing them from advancing towards Delhi and blocking any attempt to set up a “pakka morcha” similar to the one during the 2024–25 Kisan Andolan 2.0.
Farmers insisted they would remain at the border until evening if they were not allowed to proceed. However, anticipating a repeat of last year’s prolonged agitation, police strictly prohibited trolley parking on the highway. Farmers who managed to reach the site were instructed to divert their vehicles into a vacant plot off the main road.
Rajpura, a small town along the highway, resembled a fortress as a heavy police presence lined both sides of the road. Activists from both unions began assembling early in the morning, but many were stopped before reaching the border. Several QIM supporters carrying flags were detained at Rajpura, where barricades had been erected overnight.
Traffic movement between Rajpura and Shambhu came to a standstill, prompting diversions through Patran and Ghanaur for commuters travelling to Ambala and Delhi. Those coming from Chandigarh and Mohali were asked to take the Ambala–Zirakpur highway. “These diversions are necessary to maintain order and avoid any congestion,” a police official said.
Patiala SSP Varun Sharma reviewed the deployment and directed officers to ensure calm. “Patiala Police remain committed to maintaining peace and safety across the district,” he said after inspecting barricades and pickets. Authorities in Punjab and Haryana had issued advance advisories for the November 14 ‘Dilli Chalo’ march called by the unions, alerting commuters that the Rajpura–Ambala–Delhi stretch would remain shut from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Despite these restrictions, convoys of vans, cars, tractors and buses carrying participants kept heading toward the border. The two-day march seeks to press several demands, including the release of Sikh political prisoners. As the first trolley reached Shambhu around noon, police stopped it. “We are on our way to our national capital. Let’s see what they will do,” one participant said.
The border remains sensitive since authorities cleared the year-long Shambhu and Khanauri blockade in March, an agitation that demanded a legal guarantee on MSP.
