Farmers’ Bandh Shuts Down South Malwa Region

by The_unmuteenglish

Malwa, 30 Dec 2024: A complete shutdown unfolded across seven districts in South Malwa on Monday in response to a bandh called by farmer unions, which blocked roads, rail tracks, and key markets. The bandh, which ran from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., was observed in Faridkot, Fazilka, Moga, Ferozepur, Muktsar, Mansa, and Bathinda.

Protesters blocked rail tracks and major national and state highways to rally for their demands, which include securing a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops. Public and private buses were also halted during the protests, further disrupting daily activities in the region.

In Faridkot, protesters took to key locations such as Bajakhana Chowk in Jaito, Battian Wala Chowk in Kotkapura, and the main market of Faridkot. The Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU-Sidhupur) blocked the Bathinda-Amritsar national highway, while protests intensified with rail track blockages at Kotkapura and Faridkot stations. BKU (Sidhupur) members also organized a march, leading local banks to shut down. “We allowed emergency vehicles to pass, despite the blockades,” said Jagdev Singh, district president of BKU (Sidhupur).

In Bathinda, buses were disrupted, and protesters blocked Kanhaiya Chowk, where the national highways leading to Amritsar and Chandigarh converge. Mansa witnessed blockages on the Sirsa-Ludhiana and Sirsa-Chandigarh national highways, alongside protests on rail tracks in the city. Farmers in Moga followed suit, blocking both the Ludhiana-Ferozepur and Moga-Jalandhar national highways, in addition to the railway routes.

In the border districts of Ferozepur and Fazilka, life came to a standstill as protesters blocked road traffic. The bandh brought business to a halt, closing major markets in all affected districts.

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