Lawyers protest proposed merger of villages with new Sri Anandpur Sahib

The District Bar Association (DBA) Hoshiarpur today staged a strong protest against the Punjab government’s proposal to merge villages of Hoshiarpur district with the proposed Sri Anandpur Sahib district. The protest was led by DBA President Advocate PS Ghuman.

The lawyers first gathered in large numbers in front of the district courts before marching to the residence of MLA Brahm Shankar Jimpa, raising slogans against the government. During the march, the lawyer community submitted a demand letter to the Punjab government through MLA Jimpa.

MLA Jimpa, after receiving the letter, contacted Deputy Speaker of Punjab Vidhan Sabha and Garhshankar MLA Jai Krishan Singh Rouri, informing him about the lawyers’ protest and urging that villages of Garhshankar constituency should not be merged with Sri Anandpur Sahib. Rouri, however, stated that Garhshankar would indeed be linked with the new district. This remark angered the lawyers, who staged a sit-in at Shimla Pahari Chowk, causing a traffic jam.

Addressing the protest, DBA President Advocate PS Ghuman said that the lawyer community has no objection to the creation of a new district but strongly opposes the removal of historically and naturally unique areas from Hoshiarpur. He warned that the decision is administratively wrong, will negatively impact the district’s economy and will particularly affect the lawyer community. Advocate Ghuman announced that a complete strike by the District Bar Association will be held on November 4, during which the next course of action will be decided.

Former DBA President Advocate Ranjit Kumar Kitty also addressed the gathering, stating that merging Hoshiarpur areas into a new district without public consent is unjust. He urged the government to consult affected people and take democratic decisions rather than compromising local interests to cover administrative failures.

Prominent lawyers, including Advocate Gurbir Singh Chotala, Advocate Navjinder Singh Bedi, Advocate Anup Sharma, Advocate Sanjeev Kant Sharma, Advocate VK Menon, Advocate MK Sharma and Advocate Rohit Joshi, participated along with city residents.