Jalandhar: Labour unions, Latifpura oustees gherao minister's residence

Jalandhar, December 10

On the joint call given by eight labour organisations, labourers, men and women participated in a protest, which began yesterday outside the residence of Local Government Minister Balkar Singh in Jalandhar.

Members of the Latifpura Rehabilitation Committee, who had taken out a march in protest against the evacuations yesterday, marking the anniversary of Latifpura ousters, also joined the three-day protest outside the minister’s residence here today.

The labour unions expressed disappointment with the state government over not giving importance to labourers and several issues being repeatedly raised by them. Labour leaders Gurmesh Singh, Kashmir Singh Ghugshore, Darshan Nahar, Harmesh Maldi and Veer Kumar said the Bhagwant Mann government was proud that the people of Punjab had given them a big majority. They said people, who voted for Bhagwant Mann, were now regretting because the expectations that labourers had from the government were not being fulfilled. The AAP government was dissuading people from protesting, they said.

Banners of “Tin Roza Sanjha Mazdoor Dharna” (three-day joint labour dharna) were erected on the site at which farm and other labourers gathered with red flags and raised slogans against the state government. A joint langar cooked by women was served among protesters on the site. Latifpura Mur Waseba Sanjha Morcha’s Rita Devi also expressed solidarity with labourers over their demands while participating in the dharna.

The leaders said labourers were determined to intensify their protest to get their demands fulfilled.

Notably, on Saturday, Latifpura Murh Waseba Sanjha Morcha marked the one-year anniversary of the ‘demolition of their houses’ by holding a protest dharna and march and by burning an effigy of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann at Ravidass Chowk. They demanded reconstruction of their houses at the same site.

The morcha also announced that on January 2, 2024, affected residents, farmer leaders and activists’ would gherao the residence of AAP MP Sushil Kumar Rinku and burn an effigy of the Punjab Government, to seek justice.

The dharna today was organised by Baldev Noorpuri, Harpal Bittu, Mool Chand, Nirmal Singh Sherpur Sadha, Mukand Lal and district president of the Bharti Kisan Union Ekta Ugrahan, among others. Singh Ball, district leader of the Kirti Kisan Union, Santokh Singh Sandhu and Latifpura Rehabilitation Committee’s Bibi Rita Devi strongly condemned the Punjab Government while supporting the labourers’ demands.