-Jaswant Singh Gandam
PHAGWARA: Ahead of CM Bhagwant Singh Mann’s visit to Phagwara Wednesday as part of his Shukrana Yatra, police kept protesters of Valmiki/dalit communities, Kisan bodies and teachers union restricted to their respective places and foiled their bids to go near the CM’s route. While activists of Bharati Kisan Union(Doaba),including its General Secretary Satnam Singh Sahni,were detained in local Dana Mandi on Phagwara-Hoshiarpur road for several hours,the activists of Valmiki/dalit bodies were kept restricted to Ambedkar Park in Guru Hargobind Nagar.
Likewise, the teachers/employees union leaders including Gurmukh Singh and Satwant Toora were also detained as a preventive measure. All were later let off.
Kisan stalwart Satnam Sahni said that they were only to put posers to the CM that as to why Sugar Mill Phagwara management was not made to clear arrears of Rs 28 crore of cane growers pending for 2021-22.
If the mandatory interest of 15% is added to these arrears, the total amount swells to almost double of the pending amount,he remarked.
Besides, the government has reneged from its word to pay Rs 3.7 crore as compensation of the loss of trolleys and other equipment at Shambhu border during farmers struggle,alleged Sahni.
Our President Manjit Rai was detained in Hoshiarpur,while other leaders like Kirpal Singh Moosapur,Gurpal Singh Pala,Kulwinder Singh Kala,Santokh Singh were detained in their native villages,he alleged.
We were allowed to leave in the afternoon only after the CM had left ,added Sahni.
Yuva Vikas Morcha Punjab President Anu Sahota said that Valmikis/dalits staged a protest march from Red signal chowk to Ambedkar Park prior to CM’s visit in protest against derogatory language used about Valmiki/dalit communities in the columns of forms of Census.
We wanted to show black flags to the CM but were prevented by police which kept us confined to Ambedkar Park till the CM left Phagwara,he said. But we presented a memorandum to authorities demanding removal of derogatory language from the forms,he said.
Due to the CM’s visit,Phagwara remained a barricaded town for about five hours, inconveniencing shopkeepers in particular and the public in general.
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