Punjab Farmer Leaders Released from Detention; Sarwan Singh Pandher Slams Police police crackdown

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Chandigarh: After days of unrest and heavy police action, several Punjab Farmer leaders, including Sarwan Singh Pandher, Abhimanyu Kohar, and Kaka Singh Kotra, were released from detention on Friday. Their arrests, which followed a meeting with a central delegation led by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, had sparked outrage among protesting farmers.

Pandher, a key leader of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, was released from Muktsar jail, while Kohar, Kotra, and others were freed from Patiala central jail. In a video statement, Pandher strongly condemned the Punjab Police’s crackdown on protesting farmers, calling it an unjust attempt to suppress their rightful demands.

The Crackdown That Sparked Anger

The police crackdown unfolded on March 19, just as farmer leaders were returning from their meeting with the central delegation in Chandigarh. As they entered Mohali, they were met with heavy barricading, and several of them were detained without prior warning. This sudden action left the farming community enraged, as they had been peacefully demanding a legal guarantee on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops—a crucial issue that has remained unresolved despite multiple rounds of negotiations.

Adding to the frustration, security forces dismantled temporary shelters at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points, where farmers had been camping since February 13 last year. With their eviction, vehicular movement resumed on key routes like the Shambhu-Ambala and Sangrur-Jind highways, but at the cost of silencing a movement that had been peacefully raising its voice for farmers’ rights.

Farmers Slam AAP Government

The protesting farmers were quick to criticize the AAP-led Punjab government for what they described as an “undemocratic” move. Many accused the state administration of betraying the very community that forms the backbone of Punjab’s economy.

“This is not just an attack on us, but an attack on the rights of every farmer in the country,” said Pandher in his video statement. “Instead of listening to our demands, the government chose to suppress us. But we will not back down. Our fight for MSP and justice will continue.”

As tensions remain high, all eyes are now on the central and state governments—will they engage in meaningful dialogue, or will they continue to push back against the farmers’ movement? Only time will tell.

(With PTI inputs)