The Zameen Prapt Sangharsh Committee tightened the noose around the neck of the authorities in Hardike village in Sangrur by undertaking a sustained 6 hour gherao. The protestors demanded scrapping of dummy land auction of panchayat land.
The protestors deflated the tyres of the official’s vehicles in addition to locking all gates of the BDPO Office and locking the BDPO, DDPO and other officials within the confines of the office. Only in the evening were the officials permitted to leave, after the department suspended the auction.
ZPSC President Mukesh Mulaudh asserted that action was undertaken unfairly by awarding 7 acres of land to three dummy candidates belonging to general categories. The authorities simply relented in cancelling the auction. Thus in his view the protest was completely justified.
Strangely the Sangrur DPO denied his stating that auction was undertaken in fair manner. However he admitted that the authorities were literally shaken to the ground and were forced to withhold the auction.
A most qualitative step in the asssertion of rights for Panchayat land by the landless dalit community.
Earlier in Nabha activists of the ZPSC highlighted their problems to BDPO Pradeep Sharda .Leader Gurvinder Singh declared that if their problems were not resolved within the stipulated time a major action would be launched. He narrated the state of conditions in Kakrala,Harigadh, Boda Kalan and Banera.
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.
