Pendu Mazdoor Union condemns canecharge on Dalit activists

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 19

The Pendu Mazdoor Union on Sunday condemned the lathi-charge on a large number of Dalit activists who had gathered to protest against Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu in Malerkotla during his visit.

Tarsem Peter, state president of the Pendu Mazdoor Union, held a meeting on the issue here on Sunday during which he said during PPCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu’s Malerkotla visit, a large number of Dalit activists had gathered to protest against his visit against the CM’s failure to solve long-pending grievances of the community.

He said the activists were lathi-charged and manhandled. Some were arrested while protesting against Sidhu’s visit. The Pendu Mazdoor Union condemned this action on the activists.

Union state general secretary Avtar Singh Rasoolpur and state press secretary Kashmir Singh Ghusgshore said the Congress government had been making new declarations for underprivileged sections of society.

They said on the issue of five-marla plots, notified plots to previous owners, five-marla residential plots, debt waivers, power bill waivers, restoration of disconnected power bills, unconditional membership to landless Dalits in cooperative societies, issuance of blue cards, etc, huge flex boards had been put up across the state. However, they said on the ground these issues were far from being addressed.

They said in a meeting held at Punjab Bhawan, Chandigarh, on November 23, these and other demands of rural and farm labourers had been agreed to by the CM. But the written notification by various departments for their formal implementation is yet to be made. They said the notification seeking excess land with those violating the land ceiling Act was also withdrawn under pressure later. They said labour and farm unions were very angry about the government’s stance and inaction on these issues.

Members of the union said protesters would be held on December 28, 29 and 30 on these issues in which union members would hold a dharna on tehsil centres. Similarly, black flag protests would also be held against Congress ministers and MLAs. They said preparations for these protests were on. During the meeting, union leaders Hans Raj Pabwan, Kamaljit Sanawa, Raj Kumar Pandori, Nirmal Singh Sherpursaddha and Manga Singh Vairoke, among others, were present.

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