Radical Sikhs disrupt train service in Punjab over '84 riots
Amritsar (Punjab):Activists of various Sikh organizations like Dal Khalsa International and Khalsa Action Committee on Tuesday blocked train and road transport in Punjab to enforce a shutdown called to protest inaction in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that killed nearly 3,000 people. The activists blocked the tracks, delaying the movement of many trains including the Shatabdi Express, Sachkhand Express, Paschmi Express, Super Fast, Dadar Kathiar Express and the Tata Mouri Express. A number of trains have either been cancelled for the day or terminated short of their
destination due to the blockade, according to a senior officer of the Ambala Division of the
Railway.
A number of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir bound trains were being terminated at
Ambala and the other stations in Haryana.
Activists of Dal Khalsa also did not allow any Punjab Roadways bus to move out from the
Amritsar main bus stand. Hundreds of passengers were left stranded at the Amritsar
Railway station and the bus stand.
The affected trains included New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express, Amritsar-New Delhi
Inter City Express, Amritsar-Hardwar Jan Shatabdi Express, Dadar-Amritsar Express and
Howrah-Amritsar Express; besides a number of passenger trains.
Road traffic was also disrupted at many places in the state, including the Chandipur-Ropar
National Highway. Initial reports said that the markets were closed at some places.
On October 23, Dal Khalsa supported by the Khalsa Action Committee, had given a shut
down call for today to register its protest against the killings of thousands of Sikhs in 1984.