M A I N   N E W S

Jats, Dalits sign peace agreement
Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

Talhan (Jalandhar), June 14
The weeklong tension in this caste politics-ridden village is likely to boil down following a formal compromise reached between leaders of the warring Dalits and Jats today, thanks to the persistent, but, "secret" efforts of three hardliner Sikh leaders, the leaders of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and top administrative and police officials.

The compromise penned down today after a marathon conclave at the high security PAP Complex in the presence of senior police and administrative officials envisaged inclusion of two members of the Dalit community in the "original" management committee of Gurdwara Shahid Baba Nihal Singh, immediate revocation of Section 145 of the Cr. PC in the village and removal of the "controversial" government appointed receiver of the shrine. The Section 145-146 of the Cr PC was revoked by the administration in the evening.

The agreement, it is learnt, was drafted by Mr Dinkar Gupta, DIG, Jalandhar Range, on his laptop at the PAP complex. It had to be revised at least 10 times following objections by one or the other group represented by the three Sikh leaders, a few prominent people from the village, Mr Vijay Sampla, the state vice-president of the BJP, and Mr Pawan Tinu, the district President of the BSP, before it was formally signed by leaders of the two communities at the Talhan Gurdwara late in the evening.

Interestingly, the police and administration once again made all out-efforts to avoid media presence in the village during the signing of the agreement, even as a large number of BSP and BJP workers were allowed entry along with their vehicles having tainted glasses.

They stopped mediapersons at the gate leading to Talhan village despite they having valid curfew passes.

The agreement signed by five leaders from Jat side, led by Mr Kewal Singh, and 12 leaders from the Dalit side, led by Mr Lahori Ram Balley, said that both civil and criminal cases registered against each other would be withdrawn, two nominees of the Dalit community would be taken on the management committee, popularly known as “Nigran Committee”. Both Dalit nominees would have “Sikh Swaroop”. Out of these two members, one would later be included in the “Maryada” Committee provided he was an “Amritdhari”.

Both groups also regretted alleged disrespect shown to Gurdwara Guru Ravidas Sahib, even as all those concerned collectively agreed to bury the past “with definite intentions to forgive and forget and look towards the future.”

A joint “Akhand Paath” by both communities will be performed in the Shahid Baba Nihal Singh shrine from Monday along with prayer for maintenance of peace and communal harmony in the “long term”.

Interestingly, though the agreement was signed by representatives from both sides, it was not signed by anybody from the administration or the police even as it was agreed upon in the presence of Mr D.R. Bhatti, Additional Director General of Police, Mr Dinkar Gupta and the Deputy Commissioner.

Earlier, the camera of Tribune lensman S.S. Chopra was snatched by the SSP, Mr H.S. Sidhu, in his bid to prevent photographers from taking photo shots of leaders of both sides hugging each other. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Ashok Gupta, also warned him that he would face action if he was seen near the shrine. He also allegedly accused the media of creating misunderstanding in the minds of the people. The camera, was, however returned by the SSP after about an hour. A group of mediapersons belonging to both print and electronic media was stopped by a group of policemen which was resisted by BJP leader Vijay Sampla.