| Ravidass followers launch series of protests accusing Jats of hurting religious sentiments. The police, too, comes under fire for “roughing up” two youths. The protests subside after 5, including sarpanch of Kattan village, were booked |
Nawanshahr, February 23
Close to the heels of clashes between Christian and Hindu communities, another communal row erupted today as members of the Ravidass community accused Jats of disrupting a nagar kirtan at Kattan village.
The Ravidass followers of Kattan village blocked traffic at Behram village situated on the Jalandhar-Nawanshahr-Chandigarh highway for more than two hours to protest against the alleged disruption in the kirtan being taken out in the village to mark the birth anniversary of the Guru by some Jats of the same village. The protesters also accused the Behram police of roughing up two youths belonging to the Ravidass community.
The youths, armed with lathis, gathered and even threatened to launch “direct action” if the government did not take strict action against the persons involved in causing disruption and the police officials, who were accused of thrashing youths.
Heavy police was deployed to control the law and order situation. The dharna was addressed by a number of leaders, including former Garhshanker MLA Shingara Ram Shahungra and AIFTU leader Kulwinder Singh Warraich, but the angry residents, especially the youth, disrupted the leaders during their speeches and demanded immediate action against the “errant” persons.
As this news spread, dharnas and traffic jams were also held at Mehli and Banga situated on the main highway.
Finally, before the situation could further worsen, the tension was defused when the SP (HQ), Jagjit Singh Gill announced registration of a case against five persons - Sarabjit Singh, Gurbachan Singh, Tarsem Singh, Balbir Singh and sarpanch Jagmohan Singh of Kattan village under section 295A of the IPC and under the provision of SC/ST Act on the basis of complaint lodged by leaders of the Ravidass community. No arrest has been made so far.
Afterwards, the nagar kirtan was also taken out in the village under tight security.
Going by the sources, there has been a dispute over a piece of land in the village between two communities for the past few years. The tension mounted up today as the pandal to organise the programme was put up on the disputed land. Some persons allegedly caused disruption in the kirtan and they even reported the matter to the Behram police, which in turn, allegedly rounded up two youths and beat them up.
Behram SHO Pursottam Lal denied the allegation of beating up of the youths and said that the some youths armed with lathis and sharp-edged weapons had gathered at the site and had the police not intervened, the situation would have further worsened.
Phagwara: The communal tension reached Phagwara too as hundreds of dalit activists led by Dr Jagdish Dadra held demonstration and blocked vehicular traffic near Rest House chowk on the national highway in Phagwara. The blockade was lifted after some time when the protesters were informed that the Behram police has booked those elements involved in the incident.
The SHO said members of Dalit community were making possession claims on four-kanal shamlat land whereas village panchayat claimed the piece as its property as per revenue record.
