Punjab landless Dalits' rail roko embarrasses dominant parties 'in their very belly'

By Harsh Thakor*
History of sorts was created in Punjab on December 12 when Dalit agricultural labour organisations for the first time conducted a rail blockade independently, without support of organisations of the landed peasantry. Around 20,000 labourers participated in 12 districts -- an event that may have embarrassed the ruling parties in their very belly.
The agricultural labourers defied the administration for a sustained period. The agitation was lodged with in a surgical manner, with the trains brought to a literal halt and virtually paralysed, say Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union (PKMU) sources.
The demands included wage of Rs 700 a day and 200 days' work under MGNREGA, waiver of pending electricity bills, restoration of snapped power connections over non-payment of bills, repeal of amendments to labour laws, loan waiver from microfinance companies, five-marla plots to needy mazdoor families in villages, check on dummy auctions on panchayati land of villages meant for agriculture purposes.
“One third of land is reserved for Dalits, but dummy candidates are fielded by landlords thus depriving Dalit families of their rights to cultivate this land,” said Tarsem Peter, a mazdoor union leader.
Another leader, PKMU state secretary Lacchman Singh Sewewala, spoke about how land still remained in possession of big landlords with the government withdrawing the letter for assessing which framers owned more than the limit granted. He mentioned how the homeless and the needy were denied residential plots, adding, the Channi government had failed to bring the guilty to the book those who committed atrocities on Dalits.
The protesting leaders said no farmer should be allowed to possess over 17 acres of land, as promised in the Land Ceiling Act, 1971. Ironically, though the government relented to the demand on implementing the law, there has been no progress in it so far.
An important demand was offering loans of Rs 50,000 under a 25% labour quota in the primary agricultural labour society, with award of subsidised pulses, wheat, sugar, tea leaves, apart from wheat, to the holders of the blue card.
The protesters also demanded punishment to a deputy superintendent of police from the Chief Minster’s security who lathi charged unemployed youths in Mansa a few days ago.
The participating organisations included Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, Mazdoor Mukti Morcha, Pendu Mazdoor Union, Rural Mazdoor Union, Punjab Khet Mazdoor Sabha, Krantikari Pendu Mazdoor Union and Punjab Krantikari Pendu Mazdoor Union, all which also participated in dharnas across Punjab.
The rail roko was supported by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Ugrahan.
The protesters alleged the demands made in the meeting of the Joint Workers' Front with Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on November 23 were not implemented despite repeated assurances.

They warned the Punjab government that if the demands of the workers were not met they would intensify their struggle. “Channi did not give much assurance on our demands. Still, we waited for a few days and now did a rail roko,” said Sewewala.
Mazdoor Mukti Morcha, Punjab, president Bhagwant Singh Samao said if the government did not meet the demands, the Congress leaders would be openly challenged in all villages.
A total of 26 trains -- 19 under Ferozepur division and seven under Ambala division -- were affected by a four-hour rail roko protest by Punjab farm labourers’ Sanjha Morcha. In all, the rail roko was organised at nine locations in the state.
These are in Amritsar, Mansa, Jethuke and Pathrala in Bathinda, Goleewala in Faridkot, Tapa area in Barnala, Ajitwal in Moga district, Chowkimaan in Jagraon constituency of Ludhiana district, and Phillaur in Jalandhar. Train passengers had a tough time with rail traffic being disrupted for four hours (noon to 4 pm).
The rail network in Malwa region was totally paralysed while the protest on Amritsar urban rail tracks and Phillaur hampered services on Delhi route. Trains on Ludhiana-Ferozepur rail line too remained affected, so were trains to go from Bathinda to Ganganagar.
Most of the trains were regulated after 4 pm, according to the office of divisional railway manager ( DRM), Ambala. According to the office of DRM, Ferozepur division, a total of 14 trains got delayed while five were rescheduled.
---
*Freelance journalist based in Mumbai, who has toured India, particularly Punjab, has been writing on mass movements

Comments

From plagiarism to proxy exams: Galgotias and systemic failure in education

By Sandeep Pandey* Shock is being expressed at Galgotias University being found presenting a Chinese-made robotic dog and a South Korean-made soccer-playing drone as its own creations at the recently held India AI Impact Summit 2026, a global event in New Delhi. Earlier, a UGC-listed journal had published a paper from the university titled “Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis,” which became the subject of widespread ridicule. Following the robotic dog controversy coming to light, the university has withdrawn the paper. These incidents are symptoms of deeper problems afflicting the Indian education system in general. Galgotias merely bit off more than it could chew.

Farewell to Saleem Samad: A life devoted to fearless journalism

By Nava Thakuria* Heartbreaking news arrived from Dhaka as the vibrant city lost one of its most active and committed citizens with the passing of journalist, author and progressive Bangladeshi national Saleem Samad. A gentleman who always had issues to discuss with anyone, anywhere and at any time, he passed away on 22 February 2026 while undergoing cancer treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He was 74.

From ancient wisdom to modern nationhood: The Indian story

By Syed Osman Sher South of the Himalayas lies a triangular stretch of land, spreading about 2,000 miles in each direction—a world of rare magic. It has fired the imagination of wanderers, settlers, raiders, traders, conquerors, and colonizers. They entered this country bringing with them new ethnicities, cultures, customs, religions, and languages.

Sergei Vasilyevich Gerasimov, the artist who survived Stalin's cultural purges

By Harsh Thakor* Sergei Vasilyevich Gerasimov (September 14, 1885 – April 20, 1964) was a Soviet artist, professor, academician, and teacher. His work was posthumously awarded the Lenin Prize, the highest artistic honour of the USSR. His paintings traced the development of socialist realism in the visual arts while retaining qualities drawn from impressionism. Gerasimov reconciled a lyrical approach to nature with the demands of Soviet socialist ideology.

The 'glass cliff' at Galgotias: How a university’s AI crisis became a gendered blame game

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* “She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information.” These were the words used in the official press release by Galgotias University following the controversy at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. The statement came across as defensive, petty, and deeply insensitive.

Public money, private profits: Crop insurance scheme as goldmine for corporates

By Vikas Meshram The farmer in India is not merely a food provider; he is the soul of the nation. For centuries, enduring natural calamities and bearing debt generation after generation while remaining loyal to the soil, this community now finds itself trapped in a different kind of crisis. In February 2016, the Modi government launched the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) with the stated objective of freeing farmers from the shackles of debt. It was an ambitious attempt to provide a strong safety net to cultivators repeatedly devastated by excessive rainfall, drought, and hailstorms.

Development at what cost? The budget's blind spot for the environment

By Raj Kumar Sinha* The historical ills in the relationship between capital and the environment have now manifested in areas commonly referred to as the "environmental crisis." This includes global warming, the destruction of the ozone layer, the devastation of tropical forests, mass mortality of fish, species extinction, loss of biodiversity, poison seeping into the atmosphere and food, desertification, shrinking water supplies, lack of clean water, and radioactive pollution.

Conversion laws and national identity: A Jesuit response response to the Hindutva narrative

By Rajiv Shah A recent book, " Luminous Footprints: The Christian Impact on India ", authored by two Jesuit scholars, Dr. Lancy Lobo and Dr. Denzil Fernandes , seeks to counter the current dominant narrative on Indian Christians , which equates evangelisation with conversion, and education, health and the social services provided by Christians as meant to lure -- even force -- vulnerable sections into Christianity.

'Policy long overdue': Coalition of 29 experts tells JP Nadda to act on SC warning label order

By A Representative In a significant development for public health, the Supreme Court of India has directed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to seriously consider implementing mandatory front-of-pack warning labels on pre-packaged food products. The order, passed by a bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan on February 10, 2026, comes as the Court expressed dissatisfaction with the regulatory body's progress on the issue.

Search This Blog