Chandigarh, February 15, 2024: The ongoing farmers’ protest in Punjab escalated today with a “rail roko” demonstration impacting train services across the state. As part of their ongoing agitation, farmer groups blocked railway tracks at seven locations for four hours, leading to disruptions for passengers and highlighting the growing pressure on the government.

The protest resulted in:

• Three trains are being cancelled entirely: These cancellations likely affected hundreds of passengers and disrupted travel plans significantly.
• Five trains are being terminated before reaching their final destinations: This left passengers stranded halfway through their journeys, causing inconvenience and frustration.

“The rail roko has caused a lot of problems for us,” said Ms. X, a passenger whose train was terminated midway. “We had to arrange alternative transportation at short notice, which was expensive and time-consuming.”

The disruption comes at a crucial juncture in the ongoing farmers’ protest, with talks scheduled between farmer leaders and the central government later today. The “rail roko” serves as a strong message to the government about the farmers’ determination and their demands for a resolution.

Key demands of the farmers include: Punjab

• Legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) on crops
• Loan waivers
• Repeal of the three contentious farm laws passed in 2020

While the impact of the “rail roko” is limited to Punjab for now, it sends a powerful message about the potential nationwide disruption further protests could cause. The success of today’s talks will be crucial in determining whether the situation calms or escalates further.