by Ajay Kumar
Lucknow: The rapidly changing developments regarding the farmers’ protest in Punjab have intensified the political atmosphere. The police action and bulldozer operation at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders have caused deep resentment among farmer organizations. The Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab, which had so far claimed to support the farmers, suddenly appears to be acting against them. As a result, not only the farmers but also opposition parties have launched attacks on the Bhagwant Mann government. The big question now is why the Punjab government suddenly made a U-turn on the farmers’ issue.
Jagjit Singh Dallewal, a farmer leader who had been on a hunger strike for a long time, was taken into custody by the Punjab Police on March 19. Along with him, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha chief Sarwan Singh Pandher and other farmers involved in the protest were also detained in Mohali. These farmer leaders were returning from a meeting with the central government delegation in Chandigarh when the police arrested them. Following this, the police cleared the Shambhu and Khanauri borders overnight. Both permanent and temporary structures of the protesting farmers were also removed using bulldozers. This strict stance of the Punjab government has raised several questions, as the Aam Aadmi Party has consistently stood in support of farmers.
Bhagwant Mann’s changed stance is surprising. Initially, the Punjab government argued in court in favor of farmers, stating that any action against them could lead to nationwide unrest. Despite this, the government continued negotiations with farmer leaders, but no concrete outcome was achieved. The Supreme Court even formed a committee on the issue, but a resolution could not be reached. Farmers continued their protest, particularly Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s hunger strike, which had become a major concern for the government.
On July 10, 2024, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the opening of the Shambhu border within a week. However, the Haryana government challenged this decision in the Supreme Court. Now, the Punjab government itself has cleared the border, which is surprising because during the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, the Aam Aadmi Party had supported the farmers’ movement and promised to stand with them. The party had even gained power in Punjab due to its support for farmers.
Initially, the Punjab government appeared to support the protesting farmers and targeted the central government. But now, the same Punjab government has taken police action against farmers. Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema stated that the government wanted to open the Shambhu and Khanauri borders to ensure smooth traffic movement in the state. He also said that the farmers should protest in Delhi since their demands are related to the central government.
Farmers believe that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann may have a personal grudge against them, which led to this action. At the beginning of March, a meeting was held between the Punjab government and farmer leaders, but no resolution was reached. Farmers had announced a protest in Chandigarh to press their demands, but Bhagwant Mann opposed this. During the meeting, a heated argument took place between the farmers and the Chief Minister, after which Bhagwant Mann left the meeting angrily, saying that nothing would happen now. Soon after, Punjab Police began taking action against the farmers.
The next day, Bhagwant Mann, in a media interaction, stated that he had walked out of the meeting and that the government would detain farmers. He also made it clear that farmers would not be allowed to block railway tracks or roads for protests. Subsequently, police prevented several farmer leaders from leaving their villages. Major farmer leaders like Balbir Singh Rajewal and Joginder Ugrahan were taken into custody. Following this, Punjab Police took strict action at the border as well. Given these developments, it is unclear whether this action was solely due to Bhagwant Mann’s displeasure or if there were directives from Arvind Kejriwal as well.
If the Punjab government knew that the farmers’ demands were related to the central government, why was this action not taken earlier? Had the government taken timely steps, this controversy would not have escalated so much. This could have prevented the Aam Aadmi Party and Bhagwant Mann from becoming the target of opposition criticism.
Experts believe that the Punjab government is taking responsibility for this issue instead of putting it on the central government. A similar situation occurred when Captain Amarinder Singh was the Chief Minister. At that time, he had sent farmers to the Delhi border, forcing the central government to find a solution. The central government had faced severe criticism, ultimately leading Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw the three farm laws. However, this time, the situation seems reversed. It appears that Bhagwant Mann and his government are taking the dispute upon themselves.
There is also speculation in political circles that one reason for the police action against farmers could be the potential by-election in the Ludhiana West Assembly seat. According to reports, Arvind Kejriwal received feedback from traders in Ludhiana that if the farmers’ protest continued, they would not vote for the Aam Aadmi Party. Traders’ businesses were being affected by the ongoing agitation. This is why the Punjab government decided to clear the border. However, there is no concrete information yet on when this by-election will take place.
There was also a possibility that the Ludhiana West by-election could be held alongside the Bihar Assembly elections. If that had happened, the Aam Aadmi Party could have engaged in negotiations with farmers for a peaceful resolution. However, the government took action against the farmers in haste, which further escalated the issue.
It is also worth noting that recently, former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain faced money laundering charges. Additionally, the Enforcement Directorate challenged Arvind Kejriwal’s bail in the Delhi High Court. Some believe that this police action against farmers may have been an attempt to divert attention from these issues.
The Punjab government’s action could politically harm the Aam Aadmi Party. The party, which came to power in 2022 on the back of farmers’ support, is now taking strict action against the same farmers. This dissatisfaction among farmer organizations could create significant challenges for the Aam Aadmi Party in the future.
Political analysts believe that the haste shown by the Bhagwant Mann government in this matter could prove costly. If the government had resolved the issue based on the Supreme Court’s directives, Punjab’s leadership would not have been blamed. But now, questions are being raised about why such a strict action was taken against farmers. Given the entire sequence of events, it can be said that the matter is entirely political and that there is definitely some underlying strategy behind it.
