Bar strikes work against giving district tag to Anandpur Sahib

The Ropar Bar Association has struck work till October 17 to protest the demand for the creation of Anandpur Sahib as the 24th district of Punjab.

Several prominent social activists too have opposed it. This comes days after the BJP backed the demand, citing it would be a fitting tribute to Guru Teg Bahadur, whose 350th martyrdom is falling in November. Meanwhile, officials are silent over the issue, with speculation suggesting the carving out of Anandpur Sahib from Ropar as the new district of Punjab.

The state government is also planning to schedule a special Assembly session on November 24 at Anandpur Sahib.

The demand to carve the district out of Ropar was initially made in 1999 when tercentenary celebrations were held to mark the birth of the Khalsa in the city.

The proposal, however, never materialised.

Ropar was made a district in 1966. At that time, it included areas that are presently part of Mohali district. Currently, Ropar district includes Anandpur Sahib, Nangal, Chamkaur Sahib and Ropar subdivisions and blocks like Nurpur Bedi and Morinda.

Harpreet Singh Kang, the president of the Bar Association, said Ropar was already a small district.

“In case, the government still goes ahead with the move, the Bar Association would intensify its agitation,” he said. Prominent social worker from Ropar, Dr RS Parmar has also opposed the demand.

Dr Parmar said Ropar district was truncated after Mohalli district was carved out of it. “If Anandpur Sahib was made the district, the Ropar district, which has a history of over 3,000 years dating back to the Harappa era would lose its existence,” he said.

Garhshankar residents oppose too, hold protest

Hoshiarpur: Residents of Garhshankar on Wednesday staged a protest amid speculations that a part of the subdivision will be merged with Anandpur Sahib if the latter is declared a district.

The Hoshiarpur District Bar Association, along with leaders of several political and social groups, submitted a memorandum to DC Ashika Jain against it. Residents said one needed to travel 20 km to reach the district headquarters at present and if their area was merged with Anandpur Sahib, they would have to commute more than 50 km.

Advocate PS Ghuman, who led the protest march, said though residents welcomed the creation of Anandpur Sahib as a district, reducing the size of Hoshiarpur was unacceptable. BJP leaders Vijay Sampla and Tikshan Sood said Hoshiarpur had already lost area twice — in 1966 when Una tehsil was merged with Himachal and again during the formation of Nawanshahr district. Congress leaders Rakesh Marwaha and Lavekesh Ohri opposed any such move. — OC