SKM's 3-day protest: Farmers gather near Mohali border to take part in stir

Farmers from different parts of Punjab Sunday gathered at the Mohali-Chandigarh border under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha, beginning their three-day nationwide protest for a legal guarantee of minimum support price.

Heavy security arrangements were made ahead of the protest and traffic diverted to alternative routes on some roads, officials said.

Farmers have been demanding the withdrawal of cases filed against them during the 2020-21 stir against the now-repealed farm laws, compensation and jobs for any one of the family members of farmers who died during the stir, debt waiver, and pension.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha is an umbrella body of various farmer unions.

Farmers have announced they will march to Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh to give a memorandum of their demands to the Punjab governor.

Farmers from many parts of Punjab including Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Sangrur on Sunday began gathering on the Mohali-Chandigarh border along the Phase-11 in Mohali and the IISER chowk road.

They were seen coming on tractor trolleys with a cargo of essential items such ration, bedding, utensils, cooking gas, and cylinders for the three-day protest.

Bharti Kisan Union (Lakhowal) general secretary Harinder Singh Lakhowal said hundreds of farmers have already reached the protest site and many still on their way on tractors.

A farmer said he had left his village in Ferozepur around noon on Saturday and reached Mohali-Chandigarh border around 2 am.

The Punjab and Chandigarh Police have beefed up security near the Mohali-Chandigarh border erecting barricades and stationing water cannons.

The Chandigarh Police in a traffic advisory said the roads from Faidan barrier on Purv Marg leading towards the Shaheed Bhagat Singh international airport in Mohali will be closed temporarily in view of the stir till November 28.

Police advised commuters going towards the airport, Aerocity, and Bestech Mall to take a right from the Faidan barrier and then a left from the Sector 46/47/48/49/ chowk straight towards Airport Road in Mohali.

The Mohali Police in its traffic advisory said that the traffic on Jagatpura sector 48-49 traffic lights to Bawa White House stretch has been suspended till November 28.