The Punjab government’s action against protesting farmers, more than a year after they began their sit-ins at Shambhu and Khanauri border points, comes amid growing signs that the stir was losing public support. While appeals had been made earlier too by industry bodies about the blockade hurting their bottom lines, as well as the reputation of the state as an investment destination, the immediate trigger for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government was the bypoll to be held for the Ludhiana West Assembly seat, which needs to be filled by July 11. The AAP has already named industrialist-turned-politician Sanjeev Arora, who is currently a Rajya Sabha MP, as its candidate for the seat. Having lost the Delhi Assembly elections and feeling the heat from an Opposition that has smelled blood, the AAP is desperate for a win. AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, who recently visited Ludhiana as part of the party campaign, received feedback from Ludhiana’s big industry hub that the party was set to lose the trader vote on account of the farmer blockade. Sources said that even at Wednesday’s meeting with the Centre held in Chandigarh, Punjab ministers appealed to farmer leaders to lift the blockades for the sake of the traders, who had to spend lakhs extra on transport of goods. However, the farmer leaders reportedly refused the appeal to provide passage. The farmer leaders present at the talks who were detained soon after they left the venue and entered Punjab border included, apart from Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) leader Sarvan Singh Pandher and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non Political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, 26 others. Woman farmer leader Sukhwinder Kaur was among the detainees. The demands of the protesting farmers have centred around a legal guarantee on Minimum Support Price for crops. Last month, while addressing the Punjab Assembly, New and Renewable Energy Sources Minister and AAP state president Aman Arora appealed to the farmers to end the blockade, even as he supported their rejection of a draft on the National Agriculture Marketing Policy. “I appeal to the farmers to clear the blockade. The traders and industrialists are suffering losses and investors are turning away,” he said. The same day, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met a delegation of industrialists from Jalandhar, who also appealed to him to ensure lifting of the blockade. A fortnight ago, Mann walked out of a meeting with SKM leaders in another sign of the growing frustration of the state government. The support for the agitation has also been dwindling among the general public, with the blockades affecting travel along the Punjab-Delhi highway. Sources said that Wednesday was chosen as the day for the crackdown as the farmer leaders would be away from the protest sites for their talks with the Centre, and hence not surrounded by supporters. Pandher and Dallewal were detained the moment they crossed into Punjab from Chandigarh. With the top leaders detained, police found it easy to move into the protest sites and disperse the farmers. Defending the government action, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said highways are the lifelines of a state. “We have been losing out on investments. We had been telling the farmers that their fight was with the Centre but we were still supporting them. That is why I was at the meeting today with Union ministers along with two of my Cabinet colleagues.” Cheema said he also told farmers that Punjab’s drug crisis could only be fought by giving youths jobs. “Employment can only be given if there is investment in the state. Such dharnas harm the interests of everyone.” Industry leaders praised the government action. Ludhiana-based Badish Jindal, who is president of an organisation called the ‘World MSME Forum’, said he had not been able to meet Kejriwal and was planning to do it as soon as possible. “However, the government has already taken action. We welcome the step. The freight cost was up manifold as vehicles had to take a detour to reach Delhi. Traders from Delhi and Haryana were not coming to Punjab… I would request the government to find a permanent solution so that no highway is blocked.” Taking on the Mann government, Union Minister of State Ravneet Bittu said it appeared to have acted only to “please” Kejriwal and to forestall any resolution of the issue by the Centre. “The AAP was afraid that the matter between the Central government and farmers might get resolved. Therefore, the Punjab Police detained the farmer leaders when they were returning after a very cordial meeting with the Union ministers.” Bittu warned Mann that while he might be trying to ensure Arora’s win to clear a Rajya Sabha seat for Kejriwal, it is he who would be the ultimate loser. “Mann is a farmer of Punjab. These farmers made him the Chief Minister,” Bittu said.
