November 26 is expected to be a turbulent day for Punjab, Chandigarh, and even Delhi, with multiple organisations announcing protests, shutdowns, and statewide agitations. From farmers marking the fifth anniversary of their historic protest by marching towards Chandigarh to Panjab University bracing for a shutdown, the day is set to become a flashpoint for long-pending grievances across sectors.
Here are the agitations lined up for the day:
‘Chandigarh Chalo’
The biggest mobilisation is expected from the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which will observe November 26 as the fifth anniversary of the farmers’ agitation against the now-repealed three farm laws. While SKM and central trade unions have called for demonstrations nationwide, farmers from Punjab will march towards Chandigarh.
SKM members have already started distributing ‘Chandigarh Chalo’ pamphlets across the state. At a meeting of its national coordination committee in New Delhi earlier this week, SKM noted that 736 farmers died during the 380-day protest at the Delhi borders, from November 26, 2020, to December 9, 2021.
“Five years have passed, but the written assurances of December 9, 2021—including MSP at C2+50%—have not been implemented,” the SKM said in a statement, referring to the Swaminathan Formula of calculating minimum support price, and accused the Centre of pushing farmers into distress sales below MSP.
Leading up to the protest, the SKM is organising padyatras, cycle rallies, village meetings, leaflet campaigns and door-to-door outreach to spread the word. Protests will be held at the district level and even at state headquarters across the country on November 26, SKM members said. “However, in Punjab, it will only be held at Chandigarh. We have sought permission from the UT administration to provide us a place to organise a protest rally at Sector 34, but they have yet to revert,” Avtar Singh Mehma, a farmer union leader from Krantikari Kisan Union, said.
Power engineers’ protest
The Punjab State Electricity Board Engineers Association (PSEBEA) will begin a statewide agitation on November 26 over what it calls excessive political interference in the functioning of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and Punjab State Power Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL). The Association has alleged attempts to sell power sector assets, delays in setting up the proposed 2×800 MW supercritical units at Ropar, and “illegal” disciplinary action against senior officers—including the suspension of Harish Sharma, chief engineer of Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Power Plant, Ropar, and the termination of Harjeet Singh, director generation, PSPCL.
“Despite multiple meetings with Power Minister Sanjeev Arora and Power Secretary Basant Garg, no corrective action has been taken. Engineers are deeply aggrieved as upright officers are being browbeaten,” Jasvir Dhiman, PSEBEA president, said.
Engineers will exit all official WhatsApp groups on November 26 and gather for a statewide protest meeting in Patiala on December 2. The Association has warned that the agitation will intensify and that the management will be responsible for any disruption of industrial peace.
At PU, a call for Senate elections
The PU Bachao Morcha has called for a complete shutdown of Panjab University (PU) on November 26 if the administration does not announce the long-pending Senate election schedule by November 25.
Over 50 organisations—student bodies, employee unions, farmer groups and civil society organisations—have pledged support to the protest. The Morcha has warned that all university gates will remain closed and academic as well as administrative work will be halted. “If the authorities continue to delay elections, the next phase of protests will be taken outside the campus, including demonstrations outside BJP offices,” a member of the Morcha said.
The confrontation escalated earlier this month when the Morcha enforced a bandh on November 10, compelling PU to postpone semester exams for over 200 affiliated colleges. The agitation began after changes in the university’s governance structure were announced on October 28, which protestors allege are moves towards centralisation under the National Education Policy, 2020 framework.
OPS: ‘A major betrayal’
Unions demanding the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) will also be mobilising —though on November 25, a day before the other agitations. On November 18, the Purani Pension Bahali Sangarsh Committee (PPBSC ) and the Contributing Pension Fund (CPF) Employees Union members of Punjab burnt copies of what they called an “incomplete notification” of the OPS by the state government. The Punjab government had notified OPS on November 18, 2022, but failed to implement it, they pointed out. “It is extremely unfortunate that even after three years, the standard operating procedure (SOP) for OPS has not been issued. This is a major betrayal,” said Jasvir Talwara, state convenor of the PPBSC.
“On November 26, 2018, then Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had come to Ram Lila Maidan supporting the OPS demand of government employees who had gathered there for a nationwide rally. Now his own government in Punjab is not implementing it despite the notification,” he added.
The unions are preparing for a nationwide rally in Delhi on November 25, saying the protest is against the Union government as well as states that “backtracked”. Unions from across the country will take part, said Talwara.
November 26 also marks the foundation day of the Aam Aadmi Party, formed on this date in 2012.
The biggest mobilisation is expected from the SKM, which will observe November 26 as the fifth anniversary of the farmers’ agitation against the now-repealed farm laws. (Express Photo) 
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