Lease land or we’ll take it forcibly: Dalits to admn

Sushil Goyal

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, June 7

The Zamin Prapati Sanghrash Committee (ZPSC) today threatened to forcibly take the possession of panchayat land reserved for SCs, if the district administration failed to provide land to Dalits at low rates for joint farming within a week.

A large number of Dalits, including women, gathered at New Grain Market, here, and took out a protest march through main bazars of the city to the DC’s office complex, raising slogans in support of their demands and against the state government.

ZPSC district president Mukesh Malaud, who has been booked in three cases in relation to agitations in different villages by Dalits, also took part in the protest.

“Under the leadership of ZPSC, Dalits would forcibly take possession of reserved lands if their auction is not conducted in a week. Besides, the Dalits would take possession of those panchayat lands reserved for SCs forcibly where “dummy” auctions had been held,” ZPSC district general secretary Gurmukh Singh said.

He said the agitation by Dalits would continue till they got justice by way of getting panchayat lands reserved for them for joint farming at low rates. He alleged that Dalit farmers and marginal farmers had been going through a financial crisis due to “anti-poor” policies of the successive governments.

Besides, the protesting Dalits demanded cancellation of cases registered against them, unconditional release of arrested Dalits, registration of cases against “erring” policemen who resorted to lathicharge on Dalits at Balad Kalan village on May 24.

The committee said their leaders as well as 170 Dalit men and women of Balad Kalan village were booked under IPC Sections 307 (attempt to Murder). The protesters demanded that the SSP and DSP of Sangrur should be dismissed for repression on people.

Among others who were present on the occasion included Pendu Mazdoor Union president Tarsem Peter, ZPSC leader Balwinder Singh Jhaloor, Naujwan Bharat Sabha state secretary Bhupinder Singh Longowal and Punjab Students’ Union state secretary Pardeep Kasba.