Chandigarh, March 5 — Several farm unions under the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) are set to launch an indefinite agitation in Chandigarh on Wednesday over their demands, including agricultural policy implementation, land distribution to landless labourers, and debt waivers.
As a precaution, Chandigarh Police have sealed all entry points to the city, deploying heavy security and issuing an advisory for commuters to avoid certain routes.
Official sources stated that farmers would be stopped at the city’s entry points.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan urged farmers not to block roads, highways, or railway tracks, citing public inconvenience.
“If stopped, farmers should stage sit-in protests on roadsides,” he advised, calling on all unions to join the “Pakka Morcha” in Chandigarh, where authorities have yet to designate a protest site.
The SKM has accused the Punjab government of suppressing their right to protest.
Hours after talks between Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s government and SKM leaders collapsed on Monday, police reportedly raided the houses of farmer leaders, including Ugrahan.
Farmer representatives alleged that discussions ended abruptly after a “livid” Mann “walked out of the meeting in a huff without provocation.”
Following the failed talks, SKM leaders reaffirmed their plan to proceed with the Chandigarh sit-in.
