‘Started mobilising force a day before’: How Punjab Police executed clean-up in a swoop

A senior police officer said that once Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann gave the go ahead for vacating the blockades set up at Shambhu and Khanauri, a contingency plan was put in motion.

“The broad contours of the logistics involved were already known because we were prepared for such an eventuality for a long time. The mobilisation of resources was done in a deliberate manner so as not to create an alarm which would have enabled a reinforcement of farmers at the two sites,” the officer said.

It was only Tuesday evening when the concentration of police force began at the two sites that there was widespread anticipation of a possible action to force farmers to vacate the protest sites.

“There was complete coordination with our counterparts in Haryana who had been forewarned of the impending action. The Haryana Police too had moved their personnel at the inter-state border in case farmers tried to enter Haryana,” he said.

At the Shambhu border, a critical protest site located near Ambala, police systematically cleared the area by removing temporary structures such as tents that farmers had erected. The process was methodical, with authorities issuing prior warnings to the protestors and the clearance occurred in the presence of duty magistrates to ensure legal oversight.

Several prominent farmer leaders were detained during the crackdown. The Punjab Police’s actions were not limited to physical evictions. Internet services were suspended in parts of Patiala and Sangrur districts to control communication and prevent coordination among protestors, a tactic often employed in such situations to maintain order. Bulldozers were used to raze makeshift camps, effectively dismantling the infrastructure that had sustained the protests since February 13, 2024. Visuals from the scene showed police removing items like fans and stages set up by the farmers, underscoring the thoroughness of the operation.

The timing of the crackdown coincided with the ongoing negotiations between farmer representatives and a central delegation led by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The seventh round of talks on Wednesday, which lasting for over three hours, failed to yield a resolution, with the next round of talks scheduled for May 4, 2025. This lack of progress may have prompted the Punjab government to take decisive action, especially given mounting pressure from traders and industrialists who had reported significant economic losses due to the prolonged closure of border points like Shambhu and Khanauri.

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema defended the police action, arguing that it was necessary to alleviate the hardships faced by traders and youth in the state. He emphasised that while the AAP government had supported farmers during earlier protests against the central government’s farm laws, the current demands were primarily directed at the Centre, and the border closures had become untenable for Punjab’s economy. Cheema highlighted that reopening the borders could boost trade, create jobs, and help address issues like drug abuse among the youth by fostering economic activity.

The operation drew sharp criticism from farmer organizations and opposition figures. The SKM and KMM, key groups behind the protests, condemned the crackdown as an assault on their democratic rights. Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait, national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), also criticised the Punjab government, accusing it of colluding with the Centre to suppress the movement. In response, farmer bodies announced plans for statewide dharnas outside deputy commissioners’ offices in Punjab and beyond to protest the police action.

By Thursday morning, the situation at the protest sites was reported as peaceful by Sangrur SSP Sartaj Singh Chahal, with detained individuals waiting for further legal proceedings. Meanwhile, Haryana security personnel began removing cemented barricades at Shambhu, signaling a potential normalization of cross-border movement, though security remained heightened.

This late-night action by the Punjab Police thus represents a pivotal moment in the ongoing farmer agitation, balancing state interests against the demands of a significant agrarian community, while setting the stage for further political and social repercussions in the days ahead.