Punjab bandh on Monday in support of farmers; transport services disrupted

Chandigarh: Punjab is observing a state-wide bandh on Monday from 7 am to 4 pm, following a call by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Morcha to support farmers’ demands.

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher announced that shops and businesses would remain closed, while bus and train services would also be affected. Bus services are expected to halt between 10 am and 2 pm. Farmers and milk vendors have also pledged to halt the supply of vegetables and milk during the bandh.

Pandher assured that emergency services would not be disrupted and emphasized that the bandh would be peaceful. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has also declared a holiday in its offices and institutions to support the strike.

Farmer leaders have urged people to gather in large numbers at the Khanauri and Shambhu borders.

Pandher said that despite writing to the Vice President, Prime Minister, and Supreme Court judges over the past 34 days, their demands remain unheard.

Reports from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture and the Supreme Court Committee interim report support enacting the MSP Guarantee Act, but the central government has not acted on them.

Farmers from across Punjab have started converging at the Khanauri border, where security has been tightened. The administration is prepared for potential disruptions as tensions rise in light of the bandh.