Punjab Clampdown: Farmers Under House Arrest Ahead of Protest

In a tense prelude to a scheduled demonstration, several leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), including Jagjit Singh Dallewal, have allegedly been placed under house arrest by the Punjab government. The protest, planned for May 6, aims to challenge the state's alleged heavy-handed tactics in evicting protesting farmers earlier this year.

The farmer leaders assert that early-morning police interventions detained them, allegedly to prevent the mobilisation for the protest outside the Shambhu police station. Dallewal, weakened from a past hunger strike, expressed concern over being confined, highlighting the peaceful nature of the proposed protest.

The farmers demand action against those responsible for previous evictions and thefts of their belongings. With the backdrop of earlier police crackdowns against farmer leaders in March, this move by the Punjab authorities is seen as an attempt to quell dissenting voices before the planned demonstration.

(With inputs from agencies.)