Patiala: Punjab farmer activist Gurjeet Singh Khalsa on Friday ended his 560-day-long protest atop a 400-foot BSNL tower in Patiala after a joint operation by the district administration, police and Army officials safely brought him down.
The evacuation, which lasted around 30 minutes, was carried out with the help of a high-tech crane and coordinated support from rescue teams. Officials said favourable weather conditions, including low wind speed and clear daylight, helped ensure a smooth operation.
Soon after being brought down safely, the 43-year-old protester expressed gratitude to supporters gathered at the site.
“I am in Chardi Kala,” Khalsa said, thanking those who stood by his cause. “It has not been easy, but my faith in my Guru made it possible.”
Khalsa had been perched atop the tower since October 2024, demanding a stricter anti-sacrilege law in Punjab. His decision to come down came days after Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria approved the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026, clearing the way for the law’s enactment.
The Punjab government had sought Army assistance earlier this week, and a nine-member team comprising officials from the Army, police, fire department and civil administration had visited the site on Thursday to prepare for the operation.
Supporters of the Samana tower morcha continued an akhand path near Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Chowk, where the protest had drawn sustained backing. Khalsa had earlier indicated he would descend only in the presence of those who supported the movement, following the bhog ceremony.
During his prolonged stay atop the tower, Khalsa lived in a makeshift tarpaulin shelter, surviving with food and water delivered once daily by caretakers. He had spoken of health fluctuations during the protest, including issues with blood pressure and sugar levels.
A dairy owner and farmer from Kheri Nagaiyan village in Patiala, Khalsa had said his protest was driven by anguish over sacrilege incidents in the state. He had left family responsibilities to his brother before beginning what he described as a path of struggle.
With his descent, one of Punjab’s longest and most unusual protest actions has formally come to an end.
