In a show of solidarity with the farmer unions facing suppression at the Shambhu border and Khanauri border in Punjab, BKU Ugrahan and BKU Dakaunda (Dhaner faction) have declared a rail roko protest in Punjab on Thursday from 12 noon to 4 pm. The rail roko will be initiated at 10 locations initially, with the possibility of more locations being added, as communicated by union leaders.
The decision to stage the rail roko comes in response to alleged oppressive actions by the Haryana government against farmers affiliated with certain unions who participated in the Dilli Chalo protest in Delhi. Incidents of tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons being used against the farmers have been reported.
Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, the general secretary of BKU Ugrahan, expressed, “This protest is against the repression by the Haryana government against the farmers of a few unions who had to go to Delhi as part of their Dilli Chalo protest call. Farmers have been attacked with tear gas shells, rubber bullets, water cannons, and are getting injured. Hence, we are extending support to them,” while speaking to TDG.
As of now, around 10 protest sites have been finalized, with both unions jointly participating, and additional locations may be added later in the day. The current rail roko locations include Rajpura, Sunam, Jethuke village in Bathinda, Moga, Mansa, Malaut, Valla railway crossing in Amritsar, Barnala, Sangrur, and Budhlada.
The rail roko is expected to disrupt the Amritsar-Jalandhar-Delhi line, the Mansa-Bathinda-Delhi line, Ludhiana-Ferozepur line, and several other locations, according to Kokrikalan.
Even if a resolution is reached during talks between farmers and ministers in Chandigarh, Kokrikalan emphasized that the rail roko will continue as planned, citing it as a response to the alleged repression by the Haryana government against the farmers.
It is noteworthy that regular commuters are already experiencing inconvenience due to barricades set up by the Haryana government to deter farmers from advancing towards Delhi for their Dilli Chalo protest.
In addition to the rail roko, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and Central Trade Unions (CTUs) have called for a Grameen Bharat Bandh on February 16, accompanied by a 4-hour chakka jam on state and national highways from 12 noon to 4 pm. Public buses will remain off the road from 6 am to 4 pm on the same day. SKM had previously announced this call.
Concerning toll plazas, SKM Punjab has declared tolls to be free for the general public from 11 am to 1 pm on February 15, as a form of protest against the police action in Haryana on protesting farmers at Shambhu and Khanauri, as conveyed by Manjit Singh Dhaner, President of BKU Dakaunda (Dhaner).
