On Friday, Punjab will have a double bandh. On the one hand, the Valmiki community has also called for a bandh tomorrow, while farmers will close the Ludhiana-Jalandhar and the Jalandhar-Ludhiana highways tomorrow.
However, Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal also met with the community's leaders, and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was scheduled to attend, in order to avert the Valmiki community's protest. Even though the government attempted to delay the issue, the community members were unhappy since Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was not present. Following this, the community's outraged members called a bandh.
In accordance with a directive from the community, Punjab would be closed on August 12 from 9 am to 5 pm. Community leaders stated that although there was no bandh on August 11 due to Rakshabandhan, but now a bandh has been declared on August 12. The Valmiki community issued this call in response to a statement made by Advocate General Anmol Ratan Sidhu.
While the farmer organizations also kept their agitation a little quiet till the festival. Farmers who were angry about not receiving their unpaid cane debts warned that the protest will intensify after August 11. Farmers said that earlier only the Ludhiana-Jalandhar highway was stopped, but in view of Raksha Bandhan, the service lane was also opened in front of the sugar mill. But now, the entire highway will be closed.
Farmers said that a meeting of farmer organizations has also been called after Raksha Bandhan. It may be decided during the meeting to close all of Punjab's roads. Leaders of the farming community stated that Punjab's sugar mills are unable to pay the farmers' money and the government is only giving assurances but is not helping in getting the money.