The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Haryana government to reopen the Shambhu border within a week. This decision comes after the border between Punjab and Haryana remained closed for over five months due to the ongoing farmers’ protest. The closure has significantly disrupted public transport and daily commuting.
A division bench comprising Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Vikas Bahl made the directive during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Uday Pratap Singh in February. The bench emphasized the need for both states to restore the Shambhu border to its original state and maintain law and order. The PIL aimed to halt obstructive actions by the Centre and the Punjab and Haryana governments against the farmers' ‘Dilli Chalo’ protest, which was suspended on February 13.
Farmers' Demands and Protest
Farmers have been protesting at the Shambhu border under the banners of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM). Their demands include the establishment of a law to fix a minimum support price (MSP) for their crops and various concessions, such as the waiving of farm loans.
Government's Stance and Court's Observations
During the hearing, Haryana’s Additional Advocate General Deepak Sabharwal stated that around 400-450 protesters were still present on the Punjab side of the highway and might enter Ambala to conduct a gherao at the Superintendent of Police’s office. In response, the bench observed, “Men in uniform cannot be scared of them… We are living in a democracy; farmers cannot be stopped from entering Haryana.” The bench highlighted that the highway was closed as a preventive measure by the Haryana government, and this closure has caused significant inconvenience to the public.
The high court has previously asked the Haryana government to submit an affidavit detailing the closure of the highway. In response, the Haryana government, through Special Secretary Mahavir Kaushik, stated that barricading was installed on February 10 to prevent the farmers from advancing. The government insisted that the barricades could only be removed if the farmers shifted their protest and removed their tractor-trolleys from the highway.
The protest at the border led to tragic incidents, including the death of a farmer named Shubhkaran Singh, allegedly from a bullet injury, and several others being injured by rubber pellets fired by the Haryana Police. In March, the high court ordered a judicial probe led by retired Judge Jaishree Thakur into Shubhkaran Singh's death.
Moving Forward
The high court has called for a detailed order to be released soon and has urged both the state governments and farmer unions to ensure compliance with the law. This development is expected to bring some relief to the general public, who have faced considerable inconvenience due to the prolonged closure of the Shambhu border.
Inputs by Agencies
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