Latifpura oustees demand rehabilitation, burn Chief Minister’s effigy during protest in Jalandhar

Jalandhar, December 9

Expressing their resentment against the Punjab Government and the Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT), residents of Latifpura under the banner of the Latifpura Murh Waseba Sanjha Morcha today marked the one-year anniversary of the ‘demolition of their houses’ by holding a protest and burning an effigy of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann at Ravidass Chowk here today. They demanded reconstruction of their houses at the same site.

The residents took out a protest march holding banners and placards against the government from Latifpura to Ravidass Chowk, where they raised slogans and burnt the effigy.

Farmer activists of various unions also participated in the protest and assured their full support to affected families till they didn’t get justice.

A morcha leader Lakhvir Singh Khalsa announced that on January 2, 2024, affected residents, farmer leaders and activists’ would gherao the residence of AAP MP Sushil Kumar Rinku and burn an effigy of the Punjab Government there to condemn their ignorance in delivering justice to the Latifpura oustees.

Farmer leaders said they and city’s social workers stand in support of the affected residents. They said their protest would continue till the resettlement of the displaced people at Latifpura and awarding of compensation to them.

Members of the affected families said it was due to the alleged negligence of the state government that the demolition drive was carried out without any arrangements of their rehabilitation. The members of the families said they were forced to sleep under the open sky since the last one year.

They said last winter too, they were under the open sky with their elders and children, and this winter too, they were left to fend for themselves.

“On this day last year, we saw our houses being razed in seconds. We were made homeless in harsh winters, but the government showed no sympathy. Even after one year of struggle, the government remains unmoved. No one has inquired about our well-being or living conditions for over six months,” said Kuljeet Kaur, one of the affected residents.