SC panel director visits village to assess post-clash situation

Two weeks after a clash between the police and Dalit protesters, tension continues to prevail in Chandbhan village here.

Parminder Singh, Director of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), Punjab, visited the village on Saturday to meet the affected families and investigate the reasons behind the confrontation that led to an escalation in caste-based tension.

The unrest began on February 6 when the Faridkot police arrested over 40 Dalit protesters, accusing them of indulging in stone throwing while blocking the Kotkapura-Bathinda road. The police said several officers were injured in the incident, prompting them to retaliate with force, allegedly assaulting family members of the arrested individuals.

Following the arrests, various Dalit unions and senior Dalit leaders organised protests in Faridkot, pressuring the authorities concerned to release the detained protesters. The administration eventually relented and released all 40 individuals.

However, the situation took a new turn when Dalit leaders demanded action against two upper-caste individuals who allegedly fired gunshots in the air to intimidate the protesters on February 5. The police subsequently registered an FIR under the SC/ST Act, besides adding attempt-to-murder charge against the accused.

This move triggered a fresh controversy, with the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) stepping in to defend two farmers. The SKM has called for the cancellation of the FIR, arguing that the charges were politically motivated. Dalit leaders, on the other hand, are demanding immediate arrest of the accused and have also nominated two more individuals who allegedly fired shots to intimidate the protesters.

SKM leader Binder Singh accused the police, district administration and political figures of using the incident to create communal discord among people.

NCSC Director Parminder Singh, meanwhile, assured the villagers that justice will would delivered. The commission would not allow any discrimination based on caste lines, he added.