Tolewal reserved land to be auctioned today, Dalits protest

Tribune News Service

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Sangrur, August 6

A month after a bloody clash between the Dalits and upper caste men over the auction of reserved land, the Sangrur administration has fixed August 7 to auction the reserved land of Tolewal.

The Dalits, under the banner of the Zameen Prapati Sanghrash Committee, have announced to oppose the auction as they alleged that the Panchayat Department had wrongly rejected the resolution of the gram sabha, passed to give reserved land to the Dalits for 33 years.

“The department has wrongly rejected gram sabha’s resolution to give 11 acres of reserved land to the Dalits for 33 years on an annual lease from Tolewal village common land. The resolution was passed as per law. We will not allow the auction and oppose it,” said Mukesh Malaud, district president of the committee.

On July 1, 15 persons had suffered injuries after a clash between two groups in Tolewal village over the auction of reserved land for the Dalits. The Dalits had alleged that upper caste men had attacked them.

On the complaint of Malerkotla -1 Block Development and Panchayat Officer Amandeep Kaur, the police had registered a case against 15 members of the committee for a clash while later, names of some other villagers were also added in the FIR.

“Since the Tolewal gram sabha did not pass the resolution as per law, it was rejected. We have fixed August 7 to auction the reserve land and also written to the police for security,” Amandeep Kaur said.

Cite resolution

The Sangrur admn has fixed August 7 to auction the reserved land of Tolewal. The Dalits, under the banner of the Zameen Prapati Sanghrash Committee, have announced to oppose the auction as they alleged that the Panchayat Department had wrongly rejected the resolution of the gram sabha, passed to give reserved land to the Dalits for 33 years