Jalandhar, June 7
Tension in the Dalit-dominated violence-ravaged areas started subsiding after the body of 33-year-old Vijay Kumar Kala was cremated here this afternoon. No relaxation in curfew was ordered in any of the localities as stray incidents of fresh violence, including stone-pelting and traffic blockades were reported from some parts of the district.

Vijay Kumar Kala, a labourer, was shot in the stomach after police opened fire to prevent arsonists from damaging public property on Thursday night. The Tribune team which visited the Buta Mandi and nearby areas, which had witnessed violence during the past 72 hours, this afternoon, came across a Himachal Road Transport Corporation bus which was still burning as a fire tender and a couple of trucks had been virtually reduced to ashes.

The streets are still littered with brickbats and residents, apprehending more violence in the coming days, have stacked huge piles of stones and brickbats. Escorted by Mr Vijay Sampla, Vice-President of the Bharatiya Janata Party and an activist of the Dalit Action Committee, The Tribune team visited the house of the deceased where a group of mourners were trying to console Chanano, mother of Vijay Kumar Kala.

Also sitting in a corner was the young widow and three children, including a daughter, of Vijay Kumar Kala, who, according to the family, was returning home after finishing his daily work at a nearby leather tannery.

“My son lay in a pool of blood when we got the news,” revealed Chanano,” we put him in a three-wheeler and took him to the Civil Hospital which was locked from outside. We tried desperately to get the main gate opened but without any success. It was at the instance of the Mayor that Vijay was in the hospital. But that was too late. We had lost more than three hours in the process and by that time he had bled to the death.”

“He was shot in the stomach,” she said holding that not a single official from the district or the State administration had visited her or her family. “Only the SDM of Shahkot, Ms Babbita, who is related to us, came to express her sympathies. Instead, the police had been trying to put pressure on us,” she lamented.

The Dalits alleged that the district administration had a “partial role” and took the side of the “Jats” in the entire dispute.

On the night of the police firing, certain policemen used “abusive language” and did not issue any warning before opening fire, alleged Mr Bansi Lal, a shopkeeper of Buta Mandi. The role of a couple of police officers was “out and out anti-Dalit”, he added.

Both Mr Vijay Sampla and Mr Bansi Lal claimed that no civil officer owned responsibility for ordering the police to open fire. “Who ordered the police to open fire?” They asked maintaining that there were three to four rounds of police firing, between 10 p.m. and 12.30 a.m.

“And after opening fire, they have registered cases against us and our leaders, accusing them of inciting violence. No action has been taken against the district officials, including the police, who failed to settle the problem,” they alleged.