Mon Dec 30 11:25:28 UTC 2024: ## Punjab Shut Down as Farmers Stage Statewide Bandh Over MSP Demands
**Chandigarh, December 30, 2024** – A day-long statewide bandh in Punjab brought life to a standstill on Monday, December 30th, as farmers protested the central government’s inaction on their demand for a legal guarantee of minimum support prices (MSP) for crops. The shutdown, called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, saw rail and road traffic severely disrupted, and commercial establishments closed across the state.
Farmers staged demonstrations and blockades on major highways and roads in cities including Patiala, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Bathinda, and Pathankot. The bandh, observed from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., caused significant disruption to commuter traffic. Even the Golden Gate in Amritsar saw protests, though police assisted stranded foreign tourists.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher stated that emergency and essential services were exempted. He claimed widespread support for the bandh from various sectors, including transporters, employee unions, and religious bodies. The impact extended to neighboring areas like Ambala, Haryana, affecting commuters traveling to Chandigarh and other Punjabi cities. Train services were also significantly impacted.
The bandh is also a show of solidarity with 70-year-old farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on a 35-day hunger strike at the Khanauri border protest site, demanding the government meet their demands. The Supreme Court has given the Punjab government until December 31st to persuade Dallewal to seek medical treatment.
Farmers’ demands extend beyond MSP to include debt waivers, pensions, no electricity tariff hikes, withdrawal of police cases, and justice for victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence. Despite several attempts to march to Delhi, farmers have been stopped by security forces. The ongoing protests at the Punjab-Haryana border highlight the deep-seated frustration among farmers regarding their economic plight.
First Piper 