SKM protest in Chandigarh: Better planning ensures day passes off peacefully

Police officials remained on high alert from early morning, with route diversions, barricading and continuous ground supervision. Senior police officers said advance engagement with SKM leaders, including Balbir Singh Rajewal, helped avoid friction.
“Sector 34 was partially occupied, so we requested the farmers to shift to Sector 43. They agreed without hesitation. Sector 43 is a big ground, and accessible from bus stand, which also made the protesters reach the venue easily,” a senior officer said.

Traffic officials said the Sector 43 venue, located near the Mohali border, allowed farmers to move in and out with their vehicles without choking Chandigarh’s internal roads.

Farmers from multiple Punjab districts, including Gurdaspur, Bathinda, Pathankot, Mohali, and Patiala, reached the Dussehra Ground from 9 am onward in tractor-trailers, buses and cars, filling the venue by noon. On stage, the SKM leaders raised demands for a legal MSP guarantee, crop insurance, relief packages and recognition for families of farmers who died during past agitations. The three-hour event ended around 3 pm, with the union seeking written responses from the Centre and state governments.

While SKM leader Tejinder Singh estimated that 20,000–25,000 people attended the rally, the police put the figure at 10,000. “We did not face any issues when we entered Chandigarh. It was better managed by Chandigarh Police,” he said.

On Tuesday, the police had conducted a full rehearsal reviewing the venue, assessing turnout estimates and planning entry and exit routes. A detailed advisory on traffic restrictions was issued a day in advance. “All city entry and exit points were studied to ensure smooth movement,” said SSP (Traffic and Security) Sumer Partap Singh.

Over 3,000 police personnel, along with RAF and ITBP contingents, were stationed across Sector 43 and adjoining areas. Senior officers, including DGP Dr Sagar Preet Hooda, IG Pushpendra Kumar and SSP Kanwardeep Kaur, SP (Crime) Jasbir Singh supervised operations on the ground.

While the day remained largely incident-free, traffic near Attawa Chowk in Sector 42 slowed briefly as the rally ended. By evening, the farmers began dispersing, barricades were removed and normal traffic movement resumed.

Senior police officers expressed satisfaction that despite the scale of mobilisation, the city functioned uninterrupted.
“Today’s farmers’ gathering in Chandigarh was managed smoothly because we applied lessons from past events where traffic and public movement were severely disrupted. This time, better coordination with farmer unions and strategic planning ensured the situation remained under control,” a senior police officer said.