Rail roko: Five trains cancelled in Ambala, two in Hisar

Tribune News Service

Ambala/Karnal/Hisar/Palwal/ Panipat/Sonepat, October 18

Farmers squatted on rail tracks today morning as part of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s six-hour “rail roko” protest, demanding the dismissal and arrest of Union Minister Ajay Mishra in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

The stir disrupted the movement of trains in the state, causing inconvenience to passengers who could be seen waiting for long hours with their baggage.

Protests were held at Sirsa, Fatehabad, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Sonepat, Kurukshetra, Jind, Karnal, Hisar and Palwal.

Protesting farmers, including women, raised slogans against the BJP-led government and demanded the arrest of Mishra. Security was deployed at railway stations in the wake of the protest.

In a statement, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer unions spearheading the agitation against the Centre’s three agricultural laws, said “protests will be intensified until justice is secured” in the Lakhimpur Kheri case.

SKM Leaders arrested, detained

Leaders were detained and arrested at several places during the rail roko protest. Thousands of farmers peacefully participated to demand the dismissal and arrest of minister Ajay Mishra over the Lakhimpur Kheri violence. Samyukt Kisan Morcha

Centre trying to sabotage stir

Farmers have been protesting on the roads the past for 11 months. Instead of accepting their demands, BJP leaders have been trying to crush the agitation.

Shamsher Singh Nambardar, farmer leader from Hisar

Farmers won’t bow down to govt

The Centre has been stubborn. Its intention is clear. It wants to safeguard the interests of capitalists. Farmers will not bow to the undemocratic attitude of the Centre. Rachna Sangwan, BKU (Charuni) member

In the Ambala division, five trains were cancelled, and several others were partially cancelled, regulated and short-originated.

Kalka-Ambala Express, Ambala-Kalka Express, Chandigarh-New Delhi Shatabdi Express, New Delhi-Chandigarh Shatabdi Express and Ambala-Saharnpur train were cancelled.

During six hours of the protest, 17 mail express and passenger trains were halted at different stations under the Ambala division. A couple of goods trains and a military special train were stuck at the Ambala Cantt railway station because of the farmers’ protest.

Meanwhile passengers were harried. One of them, Gagan, said: “I was on my way from Delhi to Chandigarh for some official work. Since the train was halted at the Amabla railway station, I will catch a bus for Chandigarh.”

Ambala BKU (Charuni) chief Malkit Singh said, “Justice is impossible till Union Minister Mishra is not removed from the Cabinet.”

In the Hisar division, the train services were affected on the Rewari-Sirsa-Rohtak section, Bathinda-Hanumangarh section, Rewari-Sadulpur section, Sadulur-Ratangarh section and Sadulpur-Hanumangarh section. As a result, two trains were cancelled and 13 partially cancelled. The route of one train was changed.

Shamsher Singh Nambardar, a farmer leader from Hisar, said: “Farmers have been protesting on the roads for 11 months. Instead of accepting their demands, BJP leaders have been trying to crush the agitation.”

In Karnal, farmers blocked the Delhi-Amritsar railway track, which is one of the busiest tracks of the North India. Several passengers were stranded at the railway station in the rain.

At 10 am, farmers led by Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) core committee member Jagdeep Singh Aulakh reached the railway track, raising slogans “Har Har Mahadev”, “Allah hu Akbar” and “Jo Bole So Nihaal”.

“We blocked the track on the SKM’s call, demanding justice for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence. The Centre must remove Mishra from the Union Cabinet,” he said.

Farmers squatted on the tracks at three places in Sonepat — the city railway station, Ganaur and Gohana — and three places in Panipat — near TDI flyover on the Panipat-Ambala railway track, near Bhalsi village and in Israna.

Around 3,000 passengers were stranded at the Panipat railway station for six hours as three trains — Shaheed Express, Jan Shatabdi Express and a passenger train — were halted.

In Palwal district, farmers blocked rail traffic near Antoha village. Heavy police force was deployed near the protest site to prevent any untoward incident. Rattan Singh Sorot of the BKU said the agitation would continue till the farm laws were withdrawn.

‘Pink City’ bus to rescue In Panipat

Panipat: The local roadways depot plied a special “Pink City” bus for passengers stranded at the railway station so that they could catch a bus for their destination. It made around 20 rounds between the railway station and the bus stand, ferrying commuters free of cost. TNS