The Punjab and Haryana High Court’s order on Wednesday, directing the Haryana government to remove barricades along the Punjab-Haryana border at Shambhu within a week, has provided a much-needed respite for the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.

The barricades, erected in February to prevent protesting farmers from moving towards Delhi, had resulted in Punjab farmers camping at the Shambhu border. The AAP-led Punjab government has supported the farmers’ protest and opposed the barricading by the BJP-ruled Haryana administration.

However, the Mann government faced pressure from traders and industrialists who struggled to transport goods due to the barricades.

Rising Tensions

In April, tensions escalated when farmers called for a rail roko protest to block trains. Agitated industrialists and traders threatened to wear black badges if the rail roko continued, alleging that the protest was “against the state and the interests of industry.” They claimed over 200 train routes were affected daily by the protests. All Industries and Trade Forum (AITF) president Badish Jindal stated that Punjab was losing investments due to the agitation. Eventually, the farmers called off the rail roko.

On Tuesday, under increasing pressure from traders and industrialists, Chief Minister Mann urged a delegation of farmers to consider moving their protest away from the Shambhu border.

Farmers’ Response

In response, Jagjit Singh Dalewal, chief of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), asked Mann to mediate with the Centre, emphasizing that the farmers would not move until their demands—mainly seeking a legal guarantee of the minimum support price (MSP) for all 22 crops—were met. Mann then asked Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian to discuss the issue with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

High Court’s Order and Reactions

The High Court order, arriving amidst these negotiations, has been welcomed by AAP, who claim it vindicates their stance on the farmers’ protests. AAP spokesperson Neel Garg stated, “We have been saying from day one that the Haryana government should allow the farmers to move ahead. If farmers want to go to Delhi, what is wrong with this? The barricades should be opened.”

Farmer leaders have also welcomed the court’s order. Sarwan Singh Pandher, head of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, said: “The HC direction to Haryana has validated our claim that we have not blocked the borders. It is the Haryana police that has done so. We have always sought the right to move forward. We have called a meeting of the agitating farmers’ organizations on July 16 to decide on the further course of action. We have always wanted to go to Delhi to seek our demands.”

After their year-long agitation in 2020-21 against the now-repealed three central farm laws, many Punjab farmers resumed their protest on February 13 over various demands, including the MSP law, a farm loan waiver, a monthly pension for farmers and farm laborers aged over 58, the withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill, 2020, and the reintroduction of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013.

The Haryana government, which had clamped down on the farmers’ agitation by setting up barricades on the Ambala-New Delhi national highway in February, now faces pressure to deal with the situation arising from the high court’s order. The government has maintained that allowing farmers to move towards Delhi would create a law and order problem in the state.