Farmers Movement Archive

Anger over Hathras rape incident spills onto Jalandhar roads

Jalandhar, October 10The impact of the anger of the Dalits over Hathras rape and assault case was widely felt in Jalandhar as near-total bandh was observed on the call given by the Sant Samaj on Saturday.Protests and dharnas were held at various sites in the city including Buta Mandi, PNB Chowk and Bhagwan Valmiki Chowk. As protestors moved on bikes across the markets in the city during the shutdown, they carried placards ‘Justice for Manisha’, ‘Yogi Beti Virodhi’ and ‘Hang the rapists’.Various leaders, including Safai Sewak Union chief Chandan Grewal, led the protests also raising the issue of non-implementation of SC post-matric scholarship. Sukhwinder Kotli, Ramesh Chohkan, Jagdish Rana and Jagdish Deesha of Bahujan Samaj Front held their parallel protests. Kotli, along with other outfits and Sant Samaj, announced to gherao the houses of Punjab Congress MPs, MLAs and ministers starting from October 13, if the remaining amount of post-matric scholarship was not issued immediately.Complete bandh observed in Kartarpur tooA complete bandh was observed in Kartarpur against the Hathras (UP) gang-rape incident and the post-matric scholarship scam in the state on Saturday.Representative of various groups and social organisations gathered under the Ambedkar Chowk Highway and on the bridge, where they held a huge demonstration.A protest march was carried out by those on dharna. Extending help to the demonstration for the Hathras victims, farmers’ groups also extended support and served langar.Shops in the market remains closed and many women, too, participated in the protests. Activists raised slogans against the UP government and carried posters reading “Manisha Valmiki De katlan Nu Fansi Deo.”Activists demanded that the accused in the Hathras murder be given strictest punishment. They demanded that action be taken against those responsible for the multi-crore scholarship scam in the state. They also demanded the dismissal of farm laws and also sought dismissal of the Electricity Act, 2020. Kirti Kisan Union also extended support and prepared langar for those on dharna.Hoshiarpur city wears a deserted lookMarkets wore a deserted look in Hoshiarpur remained completely shut on the bandh call given by various Scheduled Castes organisations and the Sant Samaj to protest against the brutal gang-rape incident in Hathras, UP, and the post-matric scholarship scam in Punjab.The surrounding areas were also affected by the bandh. Various political, religious and social organisations laid siege to the entry points.Commuters had a tough time as traffic remained blocked from 11 am to 1 pm. A protest march was also held in the city. During a protest at Bhangi Pul Chowk and Naloian Chowk, various speakers lashed out at the Modi government at the Centre and the Yogi government in UP. They raised slogans against UP CM Yogi Adityanath and also against Sadhu Singh Dharamsot for the scholarship scam. The protesters demanded that the perpetrators of the alleged gang-rape in UP be arrested immediately and given death penalty. They said the victim’s family was forcibly detained by the police and kept away from the media. They said the shutdown was called to awaken the UP government and if the government still does not take drastic measures, the struggle would intensify. District BJP unit, too, held a protest against the SC scholarship scam. Traffic was blocked for some time on the national highway by various organisations of Dasuya in protest against Hathras incident, seeking justice for the victim. Under the banner of the Punjab Safai Mazdoor Federation, the employees of municipal council, including sanitation workers, pump operators, computer operators, bill distributors, protested demanding that the accused in Hathras case be punished at the earliest. Protesters blocked traffic and raised slogans against the Centre and UP government. They gave a memorandum in this regard to the DSP.Sloganeering against SamplaFormer minister of state and former Punjab BJP president Vijay Sampla faced stiff opposition from various organisations at Naloian Chowk. Sampla and his supporters were protesting over the post-matric scholarship scam at a pandal laid at the Naloian Chowk. Leaders of the United Front, formed in collaboration with minority communities’ organisations and SC organisations, were staging separate demonstrations at some distance. When some people of the BJP raised slogans supporting Sampla and the BJP, protesters of the United Front reacted to it by raised slogans against the RSS, BJP, Modi, Yogi and also started raising slogans against Sampla.Sampla says will support SC organisations“We will be extending full support to the Scheduled Caste organisations and the saints of the community. Whatever they will decide in protest against the scholarship scam, we will be following their decision,” Sampla said. He was addressing at the Naloian bypass in support of Punjab bandh by Sant Samaj and Scheduled Caste organisations. Sampla said giving a clean chit to Cabinet Minister was a scandalous act. He said the SC society will not spare the culprits at any cost. He said whatever decision the Sant Samaj and SC organisations will take, they will fully support it.Scholarship row: BJP seeks action against DharamsotJalandhar: BJP leaders on Saturday organised a dharna against the post-matric scholarship scheme scam at the BSF Chowk here. The protesters were demanding action against Cabinet Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot. Held under the SC Morcha president, Bhupendra Singh, the dharna saw participation of Manoranjan Kalia, KD Bhandari, Mohinder Bhagat, BJP district president Sushil Sharma, Rajesh Bagga and former mayor Surinder Mahey. The protesters raised slogans against the state government. Workers blocked the BSF Chowk and stopped traffic until afternoon demanding lawful action against the minister. Notably, the dharna was held on a day when Dalit organisations in the district were holding a bandh against both Hathras rape and the post-matric scholarship scam. Kalia said, “The minister is deliberately being shielded by the government and the CM.” TNS

The Tribune

2020-10-11