Amid Maha Marathi row, Punjab village tells migrants to leave in a week

Even as Mumbai hogs the limelight due to targeting of "outsiders", a similar incident has been reported from Punjab, where the panchayat of Lakhanpur Garcha Patti village in Fatehgarh Sahib has ordered migrants to leave the village within a week.

The panchayat has passed a resolution asking the illegally residing migrants to leave the village in a week. The local police say they are unaware of the matter. The resolution, a copy of which is with The Tribune, reads that many of these migrants loiter in the village and harass women and children.

Lakhanpur Garcha Patti Sarpanch Barinder Singh Binda said migrants came to Punjab to work in the fields, but they permanently set up their shanties near the canal bank.

“Many of them roam around in the village and smoke cigarettes and bidis. They are also addicted to drugs due to which their involvement in thefts, robberies and drug-related crimes cannot be ruled out”, he said, justifying the panchayat's resolution. “Despite repeated requests, they have failed to mend ways and continue to cause trouble. For me, my village and its residents are the priority, due to which, we have passed a resolution," he said.

Panchayat members said migrants with Aadhaar card or a valid identity card would be allowed to stay while those without any identity proof must leave. “Villagers who want to employ these migrants must keep their identity cards in their custody," said Binda.

Some rights activists tried to intervene, but villagers told them to submit a written guarantee about these migrants, many of whom are without any identity proof and continue to trouble villagers.

However, migrants said they only wanted to work and earn some money. “If we get work here and the villagers have no objection, we will stay. We will leave the village if forced to do so,” they said.

Khamano Deputy Superintendent of Police AS Kahlon said he was not aware about any such resolution, and if they receive any complaint, action would be initiated as per law.

Bassi Pathana MLA Rupinder Singh Happy, too, said he was unaware of any such developments in his constituency. "I will surely look into the issue and immediately seek a report on it," he said.