Punjab is likely to see disruptions on Friday as the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha has called a seven-hour bandh to demand the release of Sikh prisoners.
The bandh will be observed from 7 am to 2 pm. The morcha, which has received support from several religious, social and farmer groups, employee organisations and Sikh political parties, plans to block highways and railway tracks. Shops and other commercial establishments are also expected to remain closed during this period.
Punjab Education Secretary Sonali Giri said the government had not ordered schools and other educational institutions to shut. However, the Association of Private Unaided Schools and the Federation of Private Schools and Associations of Punjab have advised their members to keep their institutions closed on Friday, citing the safety of students and teachers. No holiday has been announced by colleges and universities run by the state or central governments.
Panjab University, however, has postponed the exams scheduled for Friday. The exams will now be held on September 10.
The Qaumi Insaaf Morcha has been holding an indefinite protest at the Mohali-Chandigarh border since January 7, 2023, demanding the release of Sikh prisoners who have completed their sentences.
The group announced the bandh on August 15 after Chandigarh Police used tear gas and water cannons to stop protesters who tried to cross barricades while marching towards the Punjab governor’s residence.
Morcha leaders have appealed to traders, shopkeepers, transport operators, educational institutions and other sections of society to support the bandh.
Hospitals and medical shops to remain open
However, essential services will not be affected. Hospitals and medical shops will remain open, while ambulances, funeral vehicles and vehicles carrying people to weddings will be allowed to operate. People travelling to airports and those facing medical or other emergencies will also be exempted.
Morcha convener Pal Singh France said transport services, shops and other commercial outlets would remain closed between 7 am and 2 pm, while no one travelling because of an emergency would be stopped.
The bandh has received backing from several major Sikh and social organisations, farmer groups, employee unions and political parties. These include the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee and the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee.
Political groups such as SAD (Punar Surjit), SAD (Amritsar) and Akali Dal Waris Punjab De have also extended their support to the shutdown.
Considering the bandh, the SGPC has postponed its executive committee meeting that was scheduled to take place at its headquarters in Amritsar. The meeting will now be held on August 22.