Protest over BSF prohibition to go across fence; seven booked

Gurbaxpuri

Our Correspondent

Tarn Taran, June 14

Farmers, who are already up in arms against the BSF for not allowing them to go across the fence, have been left infuriated with the Khalra police registering a case against seven of them for creating “hindrance” in the BSF functioning. Meanwhile, the BSF maintains that since the state government has imposed a prohibition on transplanting paddy before June 20, farmers can’t be allowed to go across the fence.

Under the banner of the Punjab Border Kisan Welfare Society, farmers had staged a protest at the BSF’s Baba Peer post in Dall village, 40 km from here, on Wednesday, following which the case was registered.

Farmers say they are not going to relent as the BSF hasn’t been allowing them to go across the fence for cultivation. They say that the BSF should open all the gates for them as opening of a few gates forces them to cover a long distance to reach their fields.

Surjit Singh Bhura, state vice president of the Punjab Border Kisan Welfare Society, said the border farmers had been demanding the opening of all the seven gates erected for the farmers of Dall village. “Two of the gates have been closed permanently. In such a situation, farmers face inconvenience as they have to cover moré distance to go to their fields,” he said.

According to him, the farmers of Dall village have declared not to go across the fence till the cases registered against farmers are cancelled. The seven farmers, who have been booked by the Khalra police, are Shinder Singh, Angrej Singh, Dial Singh, Harjit Singh, Sardool Singh, Karamjit Singh and Roop Singh of Dall village. The police said Sections 341, 186, 506, 148 and 149 of the IPC have been slapped on them.

Meanwhle, BSF DIG Raj Purohit said, “Farmers can’t be allowed to go across the fence as the state government has imposed a prohibition on transplanting paddy till June 20.”