Ambala : Advocate Vasu Ranjan Shandilya, Chairperson of the Council of Lawyers and a renowned advocate practicing in the Supreme Court and Punjab & Haryana High Court, has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Punjab and Haryana High Court to save the life of Jagjit Singh Dallewal, a leader of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), who is on a hunger strike. The PIL seeks immediate intervention from the court to protect Dallewal’s life and prevent potential unrest that could disrupt the peace in Punjab and across the nation. The petition, filed under Article 226 of the Constitution, appeals to the High Court to direct the state and central governments to take necessary steps to provide Dallewal with urgent medical care and address the concerns raised by the farmers. Advocate Shandilya emphasized that protesting Dallewal’s deteriorating health could lead to a law-and-order crisis, as farmers across the country may react strongly to any unfortunate incident. Citing Article 21 of the Constitution, he stressed the importance of safeguarding Dallewal’s right to life while maintaining national harmony.
In his plea, Advocate Shandilya urged the court to hear the PIL on an urgent basis to ensure swift action. He also highlighted the broader implications of the situation, stating that immediate steps are essential to preserve public peace and prevent any disruption that may arise from negligence. Notably, Advocate Shandilya has been actively involved in significant legal battles, including filing a petition in the High Court to reopen the Shambhu border, citing economic losses to the Ambala region. He also argued the matter in the apex court which had previously led to the formation of a committee under Retired Justice Nawab Singh to explore a permanent solution for opening access routes. With the hearing of the Shambhu border case scheduled for December 13 in the Supreme Court, Advocate Shandilya felt compelled to take immediate action after learning about the dire condition of Dallewal through media reports. His PIL in the Punjab and Haryana High Court calls for the urgent hospitalization of Dallewal and effective steps by the authorities to prevent a potential crisis.
Moreover, the closure of the Shambhu border since February 10, and the closure of railway tracks near Shambhu has hit the local markets of Ambala City. The local traders have claimed that they have and are facing losses worth of crores since past 10 months. Unhappy with the ongoing situation, various associations, including that of electrical dealers, jewellers, transporters and those in Ambala’s wholesale cloth market business have jointly urged the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the Election Commission of India (ECI) to issue directions to the state government to get the borders cleared. However, they have also planned to file a writ petition in the high court next week. According to sources, members of these associations say that their sales have drastically declined since the agitation started as a majority of the customers come from Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and other states. They have alleged they are suffering major losses, are finding it hard to pay salaries to their employees due to a drastic drop in the sales. The matter should be amicably resolved. If the solution is not found soon, the traders and showroom owners will be forced to shut down their businesses and it will impact the livelihood of thousands of families.
While talking to The Financial World, Rakesh Makkar, a patron of Ambala Electrical Dealers Association, said, a dip of around 70 per cent is being observed in the sales. Punjab is a major market for the traders based in Ambala, but due to the ongoing farm stir, goods worth crores of rupees are lying in the godowns and people are suffering losses. Customers prefer to check the products and then place their orders. However, in the current scenario, buyers are not coming. Sending goods from longer routes demands higher transportation charges. According to the President of the Wholesale Cloth Market Association, Vishal Batra, Ambala’s market had already suffered heavy losses during the Covid-19 pandemic, followed by floods last year. Now the farmers’ agitation has disturbed the businesses. While the inter-state border was already closed, now even the railway tracks have also been blocked by the farmers frequently. Thousands of people from neighboring Punjab and Himachal states are work in various shops, showrooms and industry in Ambala but due to poor sales, the owners are facing a tough situation.
Information reveals, Shambhu Toll Plaza from where 40,000 to 50,000 vehicles pass daily has already suffered financial loss worth Rs 220 crore due to Shambhu Toll closure since February 10, 2024 due to ongoing farmers’ agitation and the Nationa Highway Authority of India (NHAI) suffering loss worth Rs 74 lakh daily, besides owners of the vehicles travelling on this route have to cover extra and burn more fuel causing them heavy loss.
