The North News
Chandigarh, Zirakpur and Mohali, March 5
Complete chaos prevailed at Chandigarh’s border areas on Wednesday as police sealed 18 entry points to prevent protesting farmers from entering the city, leaving thousands of commuters stranded for hours and facing severe inconvenience. Commuters traveling to Chandigarh from Punjab, Haryana, and other parts of India found themselves stuck in traffic as the Chandigarh Police, supported by Punjab Police in various districts, enforced tight security measures to block farmers’ entry. The farmers planned to hold a week-long sit-in to press for a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
Police officials confirmed that the Chandigarh borders had been made impassable, and several farmer leaders, including Joginder Singh Ugrahan, were arrested in Punjab. Ugrahan was detained by Sangrur Police near Gharachon village. The North News team visited the sealed border areas and found distressed commuters sharing stories of missed exams, medical emergencies, and disrupted daily life. Students failed to appear for exams, patients couldn’t reach hospitals, ambulances were stuck in traffic, and those heading to offices or appointments were left helpless.
Sukhwinder Singh, who was on his way to the passport office, remained stranded for nearly five hours. “I came early to avoid the rush, but no transport was available, and no one had a clear idea of when things would improve. It was a mess,” he said. Dr. R.K. Abhilashi from Zirakpur expressed frustration as he couldn’t reach Fortis Hospital. “The government and farmers need to resolve their issues so that common people do not suffer,” he said. Another commuter Dilbagh Singh criticized the government’s handling of the situation. “The Punjab government says it’s the Centre’s responsibility, while the farmers blame CM Mann’s government. But in the end, we are the ones suffering. There has to be a solution.”
“Private sector workers also shared their grievances, highlighting the economic impact of the prolonged disruption. “There’s no subsidy, no relaxation, nothing. Just wasted fuel, wasted time, and no end in sight,” said a business.With traffic jams becoming more frequent and no clear resolution in sight, the city’s patience is wearing thin.
A few farmers managed to reach Sector 34 ground, where they were detained by Chandigarh Police. As a precautionary measure, Punjab Police had conducted raids across the state on Tuesday, detaining several prominent farmer leaders, including Balbir Singh Rajewal, Ruldu Singh Mansa, Gurmeet Singh Bhatiwal, Nachhattar Singh Jaiton, Veerpal Singh Dhillon, Binder Singh Golewal, Gurnam Bhikhi, and Harmesh Singh. The farmers’ unions demanded that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann order the immediate release of all detained leaders.
