[Reader-list] Fwd: [humanrights-movement:6055] Brutal Police Violence on Peasants in Patiala district_Darshan Pal Arrested too

[Nagraj Adve]

*Press Statement*

*Police Let Loose Oppression in Patiala’s Charason and Balberah Villages on
Peasants*

*Two villagers injured in Firing,*

*About Two Dozen injured in Cane charge*,

*All Distt. Leadership including Distt. President Dr. Darshan pal arrested.*

Today hundreds of policemen with police officials accompanied the higher
officials of panchayat and development department and revenue officials and
other state officials to wrest land from the peasants who have been
cultivating it for the last four to five decades. The police suddenly
descended on the village in great numbers to forcibly take possession of
the lands of poor peasants without informing the elected panchayat and
people of the village as usually is the norm. The police resorted to firing
and lathicharge when a large crowd of people from Balberah and Charason
villages and adjoining villages assembled to resist acquisition. The
injured includes women too. The police attacked people two times in a span
of one and half an hour. The resistance of the people continued for about
two hours. The development officials earlier have come to these villages
twice but they went back when large number of people resisted but were
forced by the people to return empty handed.. Now for the third time they
came quietly to take control of about 140 acres of land. The people allege
that the police resorted to violence even when there was no provocation
from the side of the people. The police not only used bullets rubber
bullets and water cannon but also made use of live cartridges. While this
report is being filed the clash between the people and the police is still
going on. The police are hunting down and dragging people from various tube
wells in the area and mercilessly beating them.

Police has also destroyed dozens of motorcycles belonging to the people.
This kind of behavior of the state forces is a normal thing while the state
wants to people booked for damaging  public or private peoperty.

Lies at the heart of this incident is the decision of the Punjab government
to wrest village common lands which the people have claimed through hard
labor of decades making it fit for cultivation. Now as the lands have
started producing grains and providing livelihood to the people who have
worked on it the government has decided to take it back violating all the
rules and regulations about these lands. This is the easier way for the
government to acquire lands as the lands under ownership of the peasants is
far more difficult to acquire. The people on the other hand demand that
they be made owners of these lands as their forefathers have worked on them
for decades and made these fit for producing crops. The people depend on
these lands for their lives as this is the only source of income for them.

The people had thwarted previous two attempts by the administration to take
control of these lands. But this time the police and officials descended on
the village like a blitzkriegs and started attacking the people without any
provocation.

The people are being led by the Bharti Kisan Union (Dakaunda) in their
fight back.

State Committee of BKU, .Ekta (Dakaunda) has taken a very serious notice of
the oppressive attitude of Patiala administration. Condemning this incident
of high handedness of Patiala Police, state president Buta Singh Burajgill,
Senior Vice President Manjit Singh Dhaner, State General Secretary Jagmohan
Singh and State fince secretary Ram Singh Matorarah and District President
Dr. Darshan Pal has warned the state government and the Patiala
administration to face the wrth of the people of Punjab and of serious
consequences, if the farmers who have re claimed the land are not given the
ownership rights.

(Issued by Dr. Darshan Pal

Disrict President

94172-69294

Email:bkudakaunda at gmail.com<http://uk.mc296.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Email%3Abkudakaunda@gmail.com>


Dr. Darshan Pal was arrested late in the evening.



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