Nidhi Arora, who has been a keen watcher of farmer protest, says Punjab Police action raises more questions than it answers. Her views:
The sudden removal of farmers protesting at the Shambhu border by Punjab Police has left many stunned. For months, these farmers had been braving the elements, holding onto their demands for fair policies and the fulfilment of promises made to them. And then, overnight, everything was wiped away. The protest site was cleared in a swift police action, leaving people questioning—was this done to ease trade disruptions, or was there something more to it?
As someone born and raised in Chandigarh but now living in NCR, I have been keenly watching this drama unfold from a distance, yet it feels very personal. The Shambhu border had become a symbol of resistance, a place where farmers, many of them old and frail, sat day after day, hoping for justice. The police acted quickly, without much confrontation, but the suddenness of it all has led to speculation.
Some say the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government was under pressure from local and state traders who had been facing logistical nightmares due to the blocked highway. With trade routes disrupted and transporters complaining of losses, was this a move to appease business interests rather than address the genuine grievances of farmers?
Of late, the Aam Aadmi Party has been struggling to find its moorings. While it suffered a humiliating defeat in Delhi Assembly elections, in Punjab its balancing act has never been easy. On one side, the party has traditionally championed itself as pro-farmer political entity. On the other, governance means keeping businesses run smoothly. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, caught between these two forces, had to make a choice, and he chose to side with business community. But clearing the site without offering a concrete solution to the farmers only deepens suspicions—was this truly for public welfare, or was it a calculated move to keep influential economic players happy?
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Of course, there’s another side to the story. There have been media reports quoting government sources that the eviction was primarily a law-and-order measure. There had been reports quoting intelligence output that suggested that prolonged sit-ins at protest sites could turn volatile. Indeed, the everyday commuter had been facing difficulties, and there were concerns about public inconvenience. Maybe, from an administrative perspective, the removal was simply about restoring normalcy. But the sudden action in the late hours raises many doubts too.
The biggest question now is: where does this leave the protesting farmers? Many of them are still dealing with the trauma of the 2020-21 agitation. They feel abandoned. The way the protest was dismantled—without dialogue, without an alternative forum for discussion—only reinforces their belief that they are being sidelined. For them, this isn’t just about MSPs and agricultural policies; it’s about dignity, about being heard.
I can’t help but wonder—where does this leave us as a society? The struggle between economic progress and social justice is an ongoing one. Governments will always have to walk that fine line. But if farmers, the backbone of our nation, continue to feel unheard, how long before this unrest spills over again? For now, the debate rages on, and only time will tell if this was truly an administrative decision or a political compromise.
As told to Deepti Sharma
