Chandigarh, 18 December 2024: Farmers in Punjab launched a major protest on Wednesday, halting trains as part of a protest demanding a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) on crops. The action is one of several ongoing efforts by farmers to press their concerns, escalating tensions as both political and economic issues converge in the region.
The protest follows a previous confrontation where Haryana Police stopped a group of 100 farmer representatives heading to New Delhi by using teargas and water cannons. Wednesday’s blockade, timed from 12 noon to 3 p.m., is expected to create significant disruptions for passengers.
Sarwan Singh Pandher, a prominent farmer leader, stated, “Activists from the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha will be blocking rail traffic as part of the Rail Roko protest. Farmers are urged to focus on their local railway stations and avoid less accessible or isolated tracks.”
In the latest phase of their protest, farmers intend to block rail traffic at 18 different locations across the state, stretching from Amritsar to Bathinda. The affected railway stations are in the following districts:
Moga: Jitwal, Dagru, Moga Station
Faridkot: Faridkot Station
Gurdaspur: Platform Kadian, Fatehgarh Churian, Batala Platform
Jalandhar: Lohian Khas, Phillaur, Jalandhar Cantt, Dhillon
Pathankot: Parmanand Platform
Hoshiarpur: Tanda, Dasuha, Hoshiarpur Platform, Madiala, Mahilpur, Bhaangala
Ferozepur: Makhu, Malan Wala, Talwandi Bhai, Basti Tankan Wali, Jagraon
Ludhiana: Sahnewal
Patiala: Railway Station Patiala, Shambhu Station, Dhatlan Railway Station
Mohali: Phase 11 Railway Stations, Sarsini Railway Gate
Sangrur: Sunam, Lehran
Malerkotla: Ahmedgarh
Mansa: Mansa Main, Bareta
Rupnagar: Railway Station Rupnagar
Amritsar: Devidaspura, Beas, Pandher Kalan, Kathu Nangal, Ramdas, Jahangir, Jhande
Fazilka: Railway Station
Tarn Taran: Patti, Khemkaran, Railway Station Tarn Taran
Nawanshahr: Bahram
Bathinda: Rampura
Kapurthala: Hamira, Sultanpur Lodhi, Phagwara
Muktsar: Malout