M A I N   N E W S

This Time, Outrage in Amritsar
Farmers face police violence
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 26
Use of brutal force by the police while handling the agitation by farmers and employees has become routine in Punjab. As many as 35 farmers, including women, were injured today when the police used unbridled force against them at Chabba near Amritsar.

It is the second time in the past three days that farmers have been beaten black and blue by the police at Chabba. On December 24, as many as 16 farmers were injured in the police lathi charge. On December 23, a large number of teachers of aided schools and their leaders were manhandled at Dhuri where they had gathered in support of their demands.

It was not the first time that employees were treated in such a manner. At Matka Chowk in Chandigarh, employees and unemployed youth fighting for their rights have been lathicharged mercilessly as have been aaganwari workers, pharmacists and unemployed B.Ed teachers. A few months ago, several farmers at Raipur village near Mansa suffered fractures in police lathi charge. Many farmers were sent to jail when they protested against the handing over of land to the Trident Group of industries near Barnala.

Among the main demands of agitating farmers at Chabba are waiving of loans and electricity bills. Interestingly, the police has not been discouraged by elected representatives from resorting to use of force against the agitators. On the contrary, police action has been justified a number of times.

Chabba (Amritsar): At least 35 farmers, including women, were injured when the police lathi-charged them and used tear gas shells and water cannons to disperse protesting farmers on the seventh day of their agitation here today. Four policemen also sustained injuries. Farmers under the banner of the Kisan Sangarash Committee Punjab broke the first ‘naka’ in an attempt to sit on dharna on the Amritsar-Sriganganagar road and the police lathi-charged them. The farmers resorted to stone pelting in retaliation and blocked traffic. Many policemen fled and were Chased for a distance by agitating women. Some policemen took shelter in houses nearby.

The police requisitioned more forces to handle the situation. Mr Kanwalpreet Singh Pannu, convener of the committee, alleged that the police also used plastic bullets to inflict non-lethal injuries to demonstrators without provocation. The traffic blockade was lifted around 7 pm after five hours. The demonstrators decided to continue their agitation after chalking out the next course of action in a meeting here tomorrow.

The police said it had to use mild force when farmers attacked the police party and damaged their vehicles. It said the police videographed the attack and would take legal action. Mr Sukhdev Singh, general secretary of the BKU (Ekta), said it would join the stir