Chandigarh Rail Roko Protest: Train Movement Hit As Farmers Sit On Tracks At Over 50 Places In Punjab

Chandigarh: Train passengers across Punjab were left in a lurch on Sunday as movement of several trains was hit in the wake of farmers' "rail roko" protest at least 50 places in the state to press for their various demands including guarantee of the minimum support price (MSP) and loan waiver.

The said protest was staged for about four hours from 12 noon onwards with the call given by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.

According to reports reaching here, a large number of train passengers were stranded as the protesting farmers blocked the rail tracks in Amritsar, Ludhiana, Tarn Taran, Hoshiarpur, Ferozepur, Abohar-Fazilka, Sangrur, Mansa, Moga and Bathinda areas for about four hours.

The railway authorities said that while nine trains were cancelled, many more trains were either short-terminated or short-originated in the wake of the farmers’ stir.

Meanwhile, farm leaders including Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dhallewal held that they would continue their stir till their demands were met. They claimed that in all "rail roko" protests were held at over 75 locations across Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Tamin Nadu.

The leaders also held that now the next step of the stir was to hold the "kisan mahapanchayat" in Delhi on March 14 where the farmers would reach by rail, road or other means but not with their tractor march.