Sikh Talmel panel comes out in support of Jalandhar bandh call

Jalandhar, June 9

The Dalit community in the state is feeling hurt after the Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner of Police failed to give them a hearing yesterday in Jalandhar, even the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann chose not attend their meeting at Punjab Bhawan in Chandigarh today.

While their agenda in Jalandhar yesterday was to discuss the matter of use of force against the Dalit students during their dharna at BSF Chowk on May 27, they had gone to Chandigarh today to take up the matter against those who had availed fake SC certificates to get reservation in jobs and promotions. Even the Sant Samaj had gone to Chandigarh today to attend the meeting in support of ‘Reservation Chor Fado Pucca Morcha, Mohali’ on a written communique from Deputy Secretary of Chief Minister Deepak Rohela.

Chief of Ambedkar Sena of India Amritpal Bhonsle termed the absence of the CM and officials for the two meetings with the Dalit community as a sheer case of insult. “Our issues are genuine and affect our community at large. But the state government perhaps does not want to even listen to us. We have felt demeaned. On our issue in Mohali, we have been demanding registration of an FIR under Section 420 of the IPC and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against those who have misused the reservation policy despite being from the General category. Our leaders are sitting on a dharna since June 1 but the government does not seem bothered. When we attempted to gherao the CM’s residence in protest today, some of our leaders were arrested,” he said.

Meanwhile, members of the Sikh Talmel Committee have announced that they would support the Dalit samaj during a bandh call given in Jalandhar on June 12. “We will close down all our markets, commercial centres and factories on that day to support the community,” said Harpal S Chadha, Harpreet S Neetu, Vicky S Khalsa and Jaswinder S Jolly from the Sikh Talmel Committee.