As trains resume in Punjab, farmers block traffic in Amritsar

Anirudh Gupta and Neeraj Bagga
Tribune News Service
Ferozepur/Amritsar, November 24

Stalled for over two months, the train services resumed from the Amritsar Railway station with hiccups on Tuesday.

Within 24 hours of the partial restoration of train services in Punjab, members of Kisan Majdoor Sangharsh Morcha (KMSM) blocked the railway track at the Jandiala Railway station in Amritsar district on Tuesday morning.

As the Amritsar-Delhi railway line remained blocked near Jandiala Guru railway station, 10 km away from the holy city, the railway authorities diverted the trains from the mainline to Beas and Tarn Taran to reach Amritsar.

Activists of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangarsh Committee (KMSC) went to squat on the tracks at Jandiala Guru railway station at 3 am. Sarwan Singh Pandher of the KMSC said their railway blockade entered the 62nd day on Tuesday.

Due to the protest, the route of the Golden Temple Express from Mumbai Central to Amritsar had to be diverted via Bias and Tarn Taran. Besides, one goods train had to be stopped at Bhaktawala railway station.

V P Singh, ADRM, said the members of the KMSM blocked the railway track around 3.00 am.

Also read: Centre calls Punjab farmers for second round of talks on December 3

“The members of the farmer’s union insisted that they would allow the trains to move ahead only after checking the trains. We are unable to do anything in such a situation,” said Singh.

Satnam Singh Pannu, President, KMSM, said that they will only allow the movement of goods trains in the state. “No passenger train shall be allowed to move till the time the union government cancels the anti-farmer agri-laws,” he said.

On Monday, one goods train, loaded with gypsum, had started from Jammu and crossed Punjab in the evening on its way to Lucknow. Another empty BTPN (Bogie Tank Wagon for loading of Petrol) was moved from Jalandhar to Delhi following the call to suspend the “Rail Roko” stir by farmer union.