Punjab
The air is now eerily silent at the Shambhu border, where farmers had been holding their ground since February 13, 2024. Just days ago, this place was alive with voices demanding a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP). But on March 19, 2025, the Punjab Police detained farmer leaders Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher, clearing out the protest sites that had been occupied for over a year.
For the farmers who had gathered here, this wasn’t just a protest—it was a fight for survival.
“We are not asking for luxuries. We are asking for the right price for our crops.”
says one farmer, standing near a half-dismantled tent.
The Crackdown
The detentions came after a meeting between farmer leaders and the central delegation, led by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, failed to produce a breakthrough. As soon as the leaders left the meeting, they were taken into custody in Mohali, sending shockwaves through the farming community.
By the afternoon, police had begun clearing protest sites at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders. The makeshift huts, tattered banners, and cooking fires—symbols of a prolonged struggle—were taken down. Farmers, anticipating police action, had already started removing some of their belongings.
But the biggest loss wasn’t physical—it was emotional.
“Why Are We Being Treated Like Criminals?”
For months, the farmers had been waiting for assurances on MSP, a promise they felt was slipping further away.
“We were here for our rights, not to block roads.”
says a farmer from Amritsar.
“Now, they clear us out like we are encroachers. Is this what we deserve?”
The Punjab government, however, defended the action. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the blockades had been affecting businesses, transport, and employment. “Highways need to be open for people’s livelihoods,” he stated.
A Political Storm Brews
The detentions sparked a political outcry.
- Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi called it “an attack on farmers.”
- Shiromani Akali Dal leader Daljit Singh Cheema called the move “highly undemocratic.”
Meanwhile, the government maintained that the protest sites had been cleared peacefully.
What Happens Next?
The farmers, though displaced, are not giving up. With their leaders in custody and no clear resolution in sight, the agitation is far from over. The next meeting with the government is scheduled for May 4, but many farmers believe that without concrete steps, they will have no choice but to return to the streets.
For now, at the empty Shambhu border, only the remnants of protest remain—discarded placards, uprooted tents, and the lingering scent of woodsmoke from long-extinguished fires.
