SKM opts out of Shambhu and Khanauri border protests, focuses on separate agendas

PTC Web Desk: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has decided not to participate in the ongoing farmers' protests at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders. This decision was taken during an emergency meeting held in Chandigarh on Wednesday. SKM leader Joginder Singh Ugrahan clarified that the SKM would not ask Jagjit Singh Dallewal to end his hunger strike, stating that it was his personal decision.

Meanwhile, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher has called for a Punjab bandh on December 30, ensuring that emergency services would remain operational. Pandher announced plans to meet shopkeepers, religious organisations, trade unions, and business associations, urging them to support the bandh.

On Wednesday, farmers staged a three-hour rail blockade at 48 locations across Punjab. From 12 noon to 3 pm, they occupied railway tracks, disrupting services. The Delhi-Pathankot Superfast Express had to be halted at Ludhiana’s Dhandari Kalan station, with several trains either cancelled or diverted. The protests affected the schedules of approximately 60 trains.

In Haryana, khap panchayats have scheduled a press conference on December 19 at 12 pm at Kisan Bhawan in Chandigarh, where they are expected to announce their stance on the farmers' movement.

At the Khanauri border, farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar expressed concern over Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s deteriorating health, citing the Supreme Court’s observations on the matter. Kohar criticised political parties for failing to fulfill their promises to the farmers and questioned why the government has not taken action on the MSP guarantee law despite the Parliamentary Standing Committee’s recommendation.

Recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s gesture of bowing before entering Parliament in 2014, Kohar stated, “PM Modi called Parliament the soul of democracy. We urge the Supreme Court to direct the government to fulfill our demands, as it would eliminate the need for Dallewal’s hunger strike.”