CM Mann Betrays Farmers Leaders, Police Evicts Protesters

On 19 Mar, soon after scheduled talks in Chandigarh between the farmer leaders from Kisan Mukti Morcha, Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) (Non Political), and the Union Agricultural minister Shivraj Chauhan finished, Panjab police detained leaders from both unions as they entered Panjab’s territory. This is unprecedented because even during wars, hostage crises, and rebellions, there is an understanding between negotiating parties to pause hostilities and respect one another’s safety and freedom until the negotiators have reached their camps. The Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government betrayed the farmers and marked a new nadir. After the leaders were detained, police—already present in large numbers at the Panjab and Haryana interstate protest sites at Shambhu and Khanauri—forcibly evicted the protesters. Hundreds of farmers were arrested and bulldozers were brought in to raze their 13-months long encampments. When farmers reached the next day they found all the structures at the protest sites were flattened and thieves had decamped with all their belongings: gas cylinders, laptops, Wi-Fi routers, refrigerators, air-conditioners, coolers, and inverters. Over 120 trolleys were missing from Shambhu itself. Protesting farmers combed the nearby villages and found a few trolleys. In another instance at Rajpura, thieves attacked farmers. This was a second betrayal because all of this pilferage took place under the police’s supervision, despite their assurance that farmers’ goods and vehicles would be safe. Both betrayals have placed the farmers on their defensive as far as future protests are concerned. All over the state, farmers protested the detentions. The Panjab govt. could take such drastic action on the Farmers Protest 2.0 because the farmers still remain disunited. To drive the wedge deeper, on 21 Mar, the govt. invited other farmers—SKM’s Panjab chapter and Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan)—for talks. However, displaying solidarity with the detained farmers and leaders, both refused to engage in talks. The roads from Panjab to Delhi have now been opened.

After police removed protesting farmers from the Panjab and Haryana interstate borders at Shambhu and Khanauri, Indian National Congress (INC) leader Supriya Shrinate slammed the Panjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. Shrinate said, 'Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) showed its true character. It is unbelievable that a party born out of a movement would resort to ending the farmers' movement in this manner. Panjab will definitely avenge this backstabbing.' The Panjab Assembly session started on 21 Mar with a walkout by the INC over the government’s treatment of the farmers. The leader of the Opposition in Panjab Assembly, INC’s Pratap Singh Bajwa said, 'They called the farmers for a meeting and detained them. They want to ensure that the party candidate for Ludhiana West by-poll Sanjeev Arora wins the election so that Arvind Kejriwal can become a Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) member.’ Sanjeev Arora is currently a Rajya Sabha member and AAP has fielded him from the constituency. On 18 Mar, while kickstarting the campaign for the Ludhiana West by-poll, AAP chief Kejriwal introduced the One-Time Settlement scheme to waive compounding interests so that Ludhiana's industry could clear their long-pending dues. He also announced an in-principle approval of new projects in 45 days, plus a fresh industrial policy. Over the last year, Ludhiana’s industrial lobby has sought passage through Shambhu and Khanauri which the Haryana government had blocked to prevent Panjab’s farmers from proceeding to Delhi. Bharatiya Janata Party's Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu alleged that CM Mann’s govt. didn't want the talks between the union govt. and the farmers to conclude. He said he spoke to union ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Piyush Goyal who were shocked to learn about the action against farmers with whom they had concluded the talks 'positively.'

Sikhs in California marked the Hola Mohalla (festival invoking Sikh preparations for battles) on 22 Mar at the Gurdwara Sacramento Sikh Society. Uppermost on everyone's mind was the recent sacking of Jathedars (leaders) from three Takhts (thrones). Talking about the framework for appointment of Jathedars, Harinder Singh, founder of Sikh Research Institute, New Jersey emphasized on understanding the importance of Akal Takht (Eternal Throne, AT). Historically, AT has operated under three core and basic principles: Independence, Supremacy, and Representative (of the entire Sikh community). AT belongs to no one group and must represent all 30 million Sikhs globally—70% in Panjab, 17% in Inspora (within India outside Panjab), and 13% in Diaspora—in the Sarbat Khalsa (Sikh plenary). AT cannot be under the jurisdiction of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) or the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and is not beholden to any laws or mandates of Sikh or non-Sikh political parties, organizations, institutions, states, or nations. The AT Jathedar can not be appointed by the SGPC or be an SGPC employee. Harinder urged all members of SGPC to pledge that the AT is independent of any political interference including by SGPC. Interestingly, on 25 Mar, before the Committee’s General Body Meeting on 28 Mar, more than 40 members of the SGPC made an application that the SGPC withdraw its orders of sacking the Jathedars of the three Takhts. On the framework, Thakur Dalip Singh, chief of a faction of the Namdharis (a Sikh sect) has proposed establishing the Panch Pardhani (five leaders) tradition and replacing the AT Jathedar. It must be noted here that Sikhs believe in the Guru Granth-Panth (co-Guruship of scripture-collective), Namdharis don’t. Meanwhile, the AT appointed committee has started the SAD membership drive but issues persist on the name of the party and where funds should be deposited.

On 17 Mar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing a surge in Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) activities, pressed visiting New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon to address rising Sikh separatism. Both leaders recalled the Christchurch attack of 15 Mar 2019 and the Mumbai attack of 26 Nov 2008. After the meeting PM Modi said, ‘We will continue to cooperate together against terrorist, separatist and radical elements.’ The two PMs also discussed defence ties, free trade pacts, and multilateral reforms. They called for a resolution in Ukraine, reaffirmed a two-state solution for Palestine-Israel, and supported maritime security cooperation. Wellington backed India’s quest for a permanent United Nations Security Council seat and membership in the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group. Though Luxon pledged to avoid diaspora politics, he refrained from commenting on banning Khalistan Referendums. Meanwhile, Auckland doctor Sapna Samant faced revocation of her Overseas Citizen of India visa for criticising the government’s treatment of minorities, including Sikhs, raising concerns that New Zealand might support India’s crackdown on dissidents. Also, on 18 Mar in New Delhi, former Australian PM Tony Abbott said, ‘There is no future for any separatism. I think people who might be unhappy with the status quo should work within the system to make it better rather than engaging in divisive and at times potentially violent activities against India.’ Meanwhile, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard met Indian officials to enhance strategic cooperation and address pro-Khalistan entities, with India urging action against SFJ. In the US, the 7 Mar desecration of a Chino Hills, California Swaminarayan Temple by suspected Khalistan supporters stirred safety concerns, prompting condemnation from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs and a hate-crime probe. The desecration has assumed significance in the wake of a 23 Mar Khalistan Referendum in Los Angeles (earlier coverage).

After attacks on Panjab’s tourists and pilgrims in Himachal Pradesh (HP) over Sikh flags and pictures of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale (1947–1984), followed by attacks on Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses in Panjab, HRTC has now curtailed buses on routes in Panjab. On 19 Mar, HP Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said his counterpart in Panjab, Bhagwant Singh Mann had assured him that strict action would be taken against those who attacked HRTC buses. Sukku said that Mann assured him discussions would be held at the Director General of Police level between the two states. Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD and the Damdami Taksal (Sikh seminary), have condemned the attacks on tourists. The Panjab unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party accused its HP counterpart of not understanding Sikh sentiments. On 21 Mar, Union Home minister Amit Shah brought up Bhindranwale in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) while alluding to Amritpal Singh, the elected Member of Parliament from Khadoor Sahib. Shah said, ‘Some people tried to become Bhidranwale in Panjab...now that man is reciting Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh scripture) in an Assam jail.' This sounded like a taunt to those Sikhs who revere Bhindranwale as a martyr. Since the 1980s, subsequent govts. and most of Indian media continue to falsely flatten Bhindranwale as a separatist and an anti-national. Bhindranwale was a complex person and his politics were layered, but there is no evidence or record that Bhindranwale demanded Khalistan. Bhindranwale’s statements were, ‘If they give it (Khalistan) to us, we will not repeat the mistake of 1947,’ and ‘The day the Army steps into the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple), the foundation of Khalistan will be laid.’ The Indian Army launched Operation Blue Star in June 1984 by attacking the Darbar Sahib. Bhindranwale led the group of Sikh fighters who resisted the Army and died in the attack.

Panjab Finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema announced excise revenue surpassing USD 1.2B for the first time, projecting further growth in Fiscal Year 2025-26. While the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government claims this is through reforms in liquor policy, the irony is that on the one hand there is a ‘War on Drugs’ and on another the govt. is celebrating earnings from liquor sales. The Panjab Cabinet also amended the Transfer of Prisoner Act, 1950 allowing the state to transfer prisoners to other states. Under the new rules Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, an accused in the Sidhu Moose Wala murder, arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 was moved to an Assam jail. The Cabinet also created new Group A posts in the Social Security, Women and Child Development Department and approved terms for appointments to the Punjab Tirath Yatra Samiti (pilgrimage committee). Panjab Social Justice Empowerment and Minorities minister Baljit Kaur said the state govt. has disbursed USD 2B under various social security schemes. The Cabinet approved an amendment to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules Act, 2011 to boost parental involvement in govt. schools by raising numbers of representatives in the School Management Committee from 12 to 16. Meanwhile, AAP has appointed Delhi ex-CM Manish Sisodia as Panjab affairs in-charge and Satyendra Jain as co-in-charge. Additionally, 2006-batch Indian Administrative Service officer Ravi Bhagat has been appointed Principal Secretary to the CM while he retains his Public Works Department portfolio. The state govt. acknowledged a severe shortage of specialist doctors in border areas, launching interim measures to hire post-graduates and empanel private practitioners. The assembly also confronted a backlog of about 1M vehicle registrations and licenses, with the Transport Minister promising clearance within a month, and the Labor Department considering raising minimum wages.

The Indian Union minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai informed the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) that according to Border Security Force, 294 drones were seized in Panjab during 2024. These drones, mostly from Pakistan, carry drugs and arms into Indian territory. As part of the ‘War on Drugs’ in Panjab, on 18 Mar, Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal announced a Jan Andolan (People's Movement) from 1 Apr to unite over 30 million Panjabis against drugs, promising a drug census and urging citizens to report traffickers. Kejriwal warned alleged Pakistan-based suppliers that anti-drone technology would soon target every illicit incursion, insisting the Panjab government will show no mercy to high-profile smugglers. Meanwhile, in Tarn Taran district, police arrested three alleged Landa gang members following a shootout, seizing a pistol and 500 grams of heroin. In Zirakpur a wanted gangster, Lavish Grover, opened fire before being wounded and apprehended; authorities recovered illegal weapons and suspected narcotics at the scene. In another disturbing case, Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur suspended a Station House Officer and a head constable following the suicide of Harry, a youth detained for seven hours in a drug inquiry. Harry’s family accused officers of demanding a bribe and threatening him. CCTV footage shows police using force on Harry (no other name cited) during his arrest. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has criticized recent directives assigning arrest targets to police, warning that innocent people might be falsely implicated in efforts to meet quotas. Citing a statement from Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, ‘the performance of police officials would be assessed based on assigned targets in the ongoing anti-drug drive,’ the court decried such policies as fostering a ‘barbaric situation’ rather than curbing narcotics. The statement is similar to the targets police were assigned during the militancy years 1978-93 which led to the rise in extrajudicial encounter killings.

Amid concerns over Panjab’s falling water table, the government is urging south Panjab farmers to shift from water-intensive paddy to cotton, though the absence of pink bollworm-resistant Bollgard-III seeds complicates this push. Trials for BT-III GM seeds have begun, but final clearance typically requires three years of testing, leaving growers reliant on older varieties as they begin sowing. Despite dire warnings of desertification, each Kharif (summer) season, Panjab cultivates paddy in around 3.2 million hectares. Efforts to conserve water face resistance due to free power subsidies that discourage the adoption of micro-irrigation systems, which cover just 49,780 hectares. Redirecting resources to subsidize drip irrigation and training farmers in operation and maintenance could mitigate groundwater depletion while boosting yields. Some farmers are embracing technological innovations, such as improvised tractor-boom sprayers with specialized tyres, enabling uniform pesticide application, reduced labor costs, and potential rental income. This machinery can treat forty-plus acres daily with fewer workers, though its broader application remains limited. Though Panjab is now massively cultivated on both sides of the border, on International Day of Forests 2025, it is worth remembering that the land was not always an endless stretch of fields. The forests in today’s Pakistan Panjab and areas like the Lakhi jungle and Mattewara in Indian Panjab once sheltered outlaws, inspired poets, shaped legends such as Hir-Ranjha and Mirza-Sahiba, and the guerrilla hero Dulla Bhatti. These woodlands were also safe haven for Guru Gobind Singh in 1704, illustrating how forests played a pivotal role in the region’s heritage. Subsequent canal-driven colonization and population pressures drastically altered these landscapes, but historians and environmental advocates now emphasize their significance. As Panjab grapples with pressing modern challenges—groundwater depletion, crop diversification, and innovation—its rich ecological heritage reveals the importance of balancing productivity with sustainability (earlier coverage).

On 22 Mar in Chennai, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin convened a Joint Action Committee meeting with leaders from multiple states to oppose population-based delimitation, arguing it unfairly penalizes regions like Tamil Nadu and Kerala that have successfully controlled population growth. Stalin warned that recalculating Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) seats using current population figures would diminish southern states’ representation, affecting their ability to secure funding and protect their cultural, linguistic, and developmental priorities. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan likened this looming threat to a Sword of Damocles, while Panjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led union government of trying to manipulate constituency boundaries to bolster its strength in Hindi belt areas. Telangana CM Revanth Reddy echoed these concerns, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to follow former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s precedent of not increasing total Lok Sabha seats for another 25 years. Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar contended that such a move would marginalize southern voices, emphasizing that the region’s achievements in population control, economic performance, and social development should be rewarded, not penalized. Meanwhile, BJP leaders labeled the gathering a ‘delusional drama’ and staged black flag protests, claiming that no state would lose seats and dismissed the meeting as an attempt to distract from corruption and disputes over rivers Cauvery and Periyar. Nonetheless, representatives from Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal also joined or supported calls for fair delimitation. Discussions highlighted the freeze on parliamentary seat allocation since 1976 and debated whether to defer full delimitation until after 2026 or 2031 census data is processed. While Hindi belt allies in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc largely agree southern states should not be penalized, they also insist that Lok Sabha constituencies nationwide need overdue redrawing, signaling a split within the INDIA bloc over balancing population, development, and equitable representation (earlier coverage).

Pakistan Panjab’s Minister for Minority Affairs Ramesh Singh Arora, recently informed there is a 72% increase in Sikh visitors to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur Sahib. Pakistan’s government now plans to restore 46 more Gurdwaras and other religious sites in the country. Scholars at a seminar Kartarpur Corridor: Pakistan’s Initiatives for Peace and Harmony praised the Kartarpur Corridor as a step toward interfaith harmony, with officials noting a renewed five-year agreement on facilitating pilgrimages. Separately, concerns have emerged among Pakistani Sikhs over the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee’s alleged arbitrary dismissal and appointment of Sikh Jathedars, prompting calls for a global Sarbat Khalsa (Sikh Plenary) at Nankana Sahib in Pakistan. Former Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief Bishan Singh said, ‘Representatives want clearer guidelines and a global platform to ensure accountability and consistency in selecting Jathedars (leaders).’ Meanwhile, in India, the National Commission for Minorities chairman Iqbal Singh Lalpura urged state govt.’s to preserve the Gurmukhi script and support the Sikh community’s cultural and economic interests. He advocated establishing a Sikh Development Board and appointing Gurmukhi teachers, emphasizing the need for stronger community representation. In another development, Panjab’s Directorate of School Education directed all District Education Officers and school heads to stop staging plays in which students portray Sahibzadas (Guru Gobind Singh’s sons) or their family members. This measure follows concerns from the National Commission for Minorities that live enactments of revered Sikh figures violate religious protocols. According to a newly issued Standard Operating Procedure, these depictions may be conveyed only through written, verbal, or animated forms, reflecting the community’s insistence on respect for sacred history. The directive comes as past controversies attached to the portrayal of the Sahibzadas, commemorated annually during Veer Bal Diwas (Brave Kids Day), (earlier coverage).