Chandigarh: Train services across Punjab were disrupted on Friday as thousands of farmers gathered on railway tracks for a two-hour Rail Roko protest, blocking major routes and halting operations statewide. The agitation, carried out at multiple locations, reflected mounting frustration within the farming community over unresolved issues they say have been ignored for months.
The protest was announced earlier by farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, who had called for a statewide halt of train movement on December 5. The Kisan-Mazdoor Morcha said the agitation was directed primarily against the Electricity Amendment Bill 2025, the alleged attempts to privatise government land, and unresolved concerns from the ongoing Shambhu-Khannauri movement. Leaders claimed that preparations were underway for stronger and longer demonstrations against both the Punjab and Central governments.
Farmer leaders Sarwan Singh Pandher and Manjit Singh Rai told reporters that the Rail Roko was only the beginning of a series of December protests. They said the agitation will intensify on December 10 with demonstrations against prepaid smart meters, followed by sit-ins outside all Deputy Commissioners’ offices on December 17 and 18. If no progress is made, a full-scale Rail Roko protest will be launched on December 19.
Along with broader policy concerns, farmers expressed anger over pending sugarcane payments. They demanded that the Punjab government clear all dues immediately and raise the sugarcane price to ₹500 per quintal. Leaders said that continued government inaction leaves them with no option but to step up their agitation in the coming weeks.
