Farmers protest in Punjab: Road, rail traffic affected amid Jagjit Dallewal’s hunger strike

The bandh, called by Samyukt Kisan Morcha and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, has left commuters inconvenienced and freight movement at a standstill. This strike is in solidarity with farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on a hunger strike for more than a month, urging the Central government to fulfill core farmer demands, including legislation to guarantee the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

The closure started at 7 am and will continue until 4 pm. Farmers blocked key routes, including the National Highway connecting Patiala to Chandigarh and Mohali’s Airport Road. The stir impacted highways and marketplaces in the state, as vehicles could not pass through major toll plazas and entry points in Amritsar and Bathinda. Meanwhile, more than 200 trains were affected by the rail roko protest, including the Vande Bharat and Shatabadi services stranding passengers.

Refering to the Gallamanda as a semi-bandh, he said individuals only took limited part in protesting the affect and doing normal business through the day none there was an obvious interruption to day-by-day life, with restorative attempts and even air administrations, did not get within the scope of the bandh. Langar was provided at the protest sites by local gurdwaras in districts like Amritsar and Ludhiana.

Farmers have protested for months, insisting on long-standing demands like waivers for debt, pensions and justice for past victimisation. Dallewal’s hunger strike underlines their anger over the government’s refusal to meet their demands. The Supreme Court, meanwhile, has instructed Punjab’s government to intervene by December 31 and convince Dallewal to end his fast and provide medical attention if necessary — though Dallewal says he is in good health.

The Punjab bandh on Monday has made people wonder why shutdown in Punjab today and what is closed today in Punjab. The number shows how angry farmers are getting over unresolved problems like MSP and rising power costs. The situation is still dangerous because the protests by farmers in Punjab don't seem to be slowing down.