Mann Shifts Gears

On March 20, Punjab Police launched a midnight crackdown on farm union protest sites at Shambhu (on the Patiala-Ambala highway) and Khanauri (Sangrur-Jind border), where demonstrations had been ongoing since February 2024.

- By Anilesh S. Mahajan

The operation was one of the most intense actions against farmer protests in the past decade. It was preceded by the detention of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarvan Singh Pandher and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non Political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal just as they re-entered Punjab after meeting Union ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Pralhad Joshi and Piyush Goyal in Chandigarh. The protest sites were forcibly cleared, with hundreds of farmers detained in the process. (Later, about 800 were released on March 24 with the promise to let another 450 go in the coming days.)

The move marks a significant shift in Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's approach. Having built his career—first, as a satirist, and then, a politician—on siding with protesters, he is now positioning himself as a leader with a firm grip on governance. His administration has also cracked down on striking revenue officials and launched a bulldozer drive against drug traffickers. These aggressive measures appear to be part of a larger strategy to consolidate his authority within Punjab while simultaneously navigating the increasing dominance of the Aam Aadmi Party's central leadership in state affairs.