Dispute over shamlat land turns ugly, several injured

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service
Gidderbaha, September 6

A bloody brawl took place between a large number of people belonging to two communities at Husnar village here on Friday over a carcass disposal point.

Notably, people belonging to one community are in the favour of the carcass disposal point on the village shamlat land while the others are opposing it.

During the scuffle, both the factions hurled stones and bricks and attacked each other with sharp-edged weapons and batons. Some people were injured and hospitalised. To control the situation, the police had to canecharge them.

The members of a community, which wants the the carcass disposal point to stay intact, said the other group was trying to encroach upon the shamlat land. “They have built houses close to it, started construction of a gurdwara and now trying to shift the carcass disposal point, but there is no alternative land available for it. Despite repeated requests, they are not ready to budge from their stand. Some people from other villages are adding fuel to the fire,” they added.

Meanwhile, members of the other community said, “We are being suppressed due to obvious reasons. Earlier, they stopped us from making a separate gurdwara and now they are disposing of carcasses on the vacant land.”

The situation turned violent twice on Friday. Initially, the situation was brought under control but when people belonging to one community brought the carcass of a cow to dispose there, the members of other group, who are living close it, objected to it leading to a clash.

Meanwhile, sensing the gravity of the situation, a large number of policemen were still present in the village.

Clashes have erupted earlier too

There is a deadlock between two communities at Husnar village over the carcass disposal point on the shamlat land for the past three months 

During this period, some minor clashes between the two committees had taken place 

Earlier, they were up in arms over the construction of a gurdwara on the shamlat land