In village Hardike in Sangrur a land distribution of reserved quota for dalit agricultural labour bid was thwarted by the administration.
The Zameen Prapt Sangharsh Commitee lodged a concerted protest on July 13th in the village mobilizing over 500 persons.Shingara Singh, Shinder Kaur,,Jaswant Sinh Khedi ,Jasvir Kaur and Hakim Singh adressed the meeting. They elaborated the motive of the village panchayat not arriving and preventing land distribution of reserved quota. A meeting will be held on Friday in the Dharamshala, demanding r land to be auctioned at fair rates.
Such boycott of Auction is a routine occurrence and illustrates how upper caste landlords are hand in glove with the politicians and administration.Inspite of sustained protests in a network of villages and wrath at a boiling point of dalit agricultural labour the ruling castes and classes are given a licence to sabotage land auctioning of reserved quota.
On July 15h Sanjha Mazdoor Morcha submitted a memorandum through Narinder Kaur Bharaj to Chief minister Bhagawant Mann.It demanded rate of Rs.700 per day for work of agricultural labour .Paramjeet Kaur of ZPSC spoke about payment of Rs 700 for daily work of agricultural labour , reduction of purchase of reserved quota land leased for 33 year period ,proper housing schemes for dalits,permanent labour for dalits as promised in Manrega scheme and procurements of Nazoo land, which were promised in a meeting with the chief minster on June 9th.She was critical of the chief minister failing to fulfil his promise of meeting delegates in first week of July. Significant how the rulers are shying away from addressing the problems of dalit agricultural labour.
Harsh Thakor is a freelance journalist from Mumbai who has toured and reported democratic events and struggles in Punjab and attended programmes of the Zameen Prapt Sangharsh Commitee.
