Mohali, Kharar, Derabassi lawyers call indefinite strike as opposition spreads across region
Mohali, November 17, 2025 (Bharat Khabarnama Bureau) – A sudden move to redraw district boundaries of two districts of Punjab has triggered a sweeping shutdown across bar associations in Mohali, Kharar, Derabassi and parts of Rupnagar, as lawyers and local groups close ranks against what they call an alarming and unilateral decision by the state government.
The District Bar Association (DBA) Mohali including Bar Associations of Kharar and Derabassi has announced an indefinite strike starting Monday after reports surfaced that 36 villages under Tehsil Kharar in district SAS Nagar may be shifted to Rupnagar as part of a proposal to carve out a new district of Sri Anandpur Sahib. The Executive Committee of DBA Mohali under the leadership of advocate Snehpreet Singh said the change would disrupt the functioning of courts in Kharar and Mohali and cause serious inconvenience to residents who rely on these judicial complexes.
The Bar Associations of Kharar and Derabassi have also joined the strike, saying the move undermines administrative stability and ignores ground-level realities. Farmer organisations have also lent support, promising to stand with the legal fraternity during the agitation.
In a parallel development, the DBA Rupnagar and Hoshiarpur has opposed the state’s plan, pointing out that Rupnagar and Hoshiarpur districts have already been reduced once when Mohali and SBS Nagar were created as a separate districts.
Meanwhile, Sub-divisional Bar Associations in Nangal and Sri Anandpur Sahib have reiterated their long-pending demand to elevate Sri Anandpur Sahib to district status in honour of the 350th martyrdom year of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib ji and its historic role as the birthplace of the Khalsa in 1699.
Lawyers say the latest administrative proposal appears to involve not only the 36 villages of Kharar but also certain areas of Kurali and Majri, all of which may be moved under Rupnagar. Bar leaders argue that this will overload Rupnagar courts while hollowing out the jurisdiction and caseload of Kharar, affecting thousands of litigants.
Deepak Sharma, president of the Kharar Bar Association said the decision has pushed lawyers to take a firm stand. He added that the agitation will intensify in the coming days if the government does not roll back the plan.
Local union leaders, village representatives and social activists have also announced that they will block traffic at the Kharar bus stand on November 18 as a show of collective resistance. They have appealed to residents of the affected villages, farmer unions and community leaders to join the protest in large numbers.
Bar members in Mohali have issued a call for unity, urging colleagues to stand together during the strike. They also appealed to judicial officers and revenue officials to cooperate and avoid issuing adverse orders while court work remains suspended.
The growing unrest places the spotlight on the state government’s proposal, which has not yet been formally announced but is already reshaping political and social debate in the region. The lawyers say that it is expected that the AAP led government may announce new district during a special session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha to be held on November 24 at Sri Anandpur Sahib.
DBA Hoshiarpur also raises concerns
Meanwhile, leaders of the District Bar Association Hoshiarpur have also raised objections, warning that any attempt to trim Garhshankar tehsil for inclusion in the proposed Sri Anandpur Sahib district would deepen long-standing administrative imbalances. They pointed out that the district had already lost significant territory in the past when several areas were merged into the newly created SBS Nagar district. According to the advocates of the association, reducing Garhshankar’s jurisdiction yet again would weaken its institutional structure, disrupt court operations and burden residents who depend on its established legal and revenue framework. They have urged the Punjab government to reconsider the proposal and protect the integrity of the tehsil’s existing boundaries.
