Markets, schools and buses hit as protest enforced across key points
Ludhiana observed a partial bandh on Friday after a call by the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha seeking the release of Bandi Sikhs lodged in various jails for long periods. The bandh, held during the morning hours, affected markets, schools, factories and road movement in several parts of the city before normal activity resumed by early afternoon.
"The bandh was observed from 7 am to 2 pm, with its impact visible in and around the city."
Protesters, including groups of Nihangs, sat on roads and blocked highways at multiple points, resulting in traffic disruption on arterial routes and inconvenience to commuters. The most affected locations reported in the city included Samrala Chowk, Ladowal, Jalandhar Bypass and Bharat Nagar Chowk.
Schools, markets and transport: morning lull, afternoon recovery
Major retail hubs such as Chaura Bazar, Ghumar Mandi, Bhadaur House, AC Market, Dandi Swami and BRS Nagar were largely shut during the morning hours. Several private schools had already declared holidays and attendance at government schools remained thin during the bandh. By around 1.30 pm, shopkeepers in many areas began reopening, and traffic movement returned to near-normal on several roads.
- Markets: Mostly closed in morning; reopening observed by early afternoon.
- Schools: Thin attendance; some private institutions pre-declared holiday.
- Buses: Many operators kept vehicles off the road until the bandh window ended.
According to reports, bus services were broadly affected as operators kept their vehicles idle until the afternoon. JS Grewal, general secretary of the Small Scale Bus Operators, was cited as saying many services remained off the road until the bandh period ended.
Highway blockades and commuter distress
Tension was reported at the Ladowal Toll Plaza where morcha supporters forcibly blocked the highway; protesters also sat on stretches of road to enforce the bandh. At several points, commuters were seen pleading with protesters to allow passage and brief arguments took place, adding to commuters' distress. Protesters maintained that emergency vehicles were being allowed to pass through service lanes at certain locations.
| Location | Reported impact | Status by afternoon |
|---|---|---|
| Samrala Chowk | Traffic stalled by sit-ins | Movement resumed |
| Ladowal Toll Plaza | Highway blockade; commuter inconvenience | Cleared by afternoon |
| Jalandhar Bypass | Traffic disruptions | Normalised |
| Chaura Bazar, Ghumar Mandi, AC Market | Shops closed in morning | Most reopened by 1.30 pm |
Local residents reported limited access to some routes during the bandh hours. At several places, protest marshals — identified as Nihangs in some reports — were seen ensuring the bandh was observed until its scheduled end at 2 pm.
While the initial impact was marked, the bandh did not appear to be uniformly enforced across Ludhiana. By mid-afternoon, commercial activity had largely restarted in many neighbourhoods and traffic flow improved on most arterial roads. The partial nature of the bandh left some businesses and commuters to negotiate the morning disruption and resume daily routines later in the day.
City authorities had maintained deployment at key locations to manage the situation and facilitate movement of emergency services, though specific official statements on deployments were not included in the reports. The bandh call and its execution reflect continuing public mobilisation around the issue of long-incarcerated Bandi Sikhs and underline the capacity of such protests to disrupt urban services and commerce, even when observed for a limited window.
