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failed, says PPCC chief Jalandhar, June 9 Talking to reporters here today, Mr Hanspal said the situation
could have been controlled had the administration acted swiftly and
properly to control the situation.
Mr Hanspal, who was accompanied by Mr Avtar Henry, Choudhary Jagjit
Singh, Choudhary Santokh Singh, Mr Mohinder Singh Kaypee and District
Congress chief Tajinder Bittu, alleged that the BSP was out to create
a wedge between the two communities for vested political gains. “In
fact, we had reached a compromise formula to resolve the Talhan
gurdwara issue on Wednesday as Dalits and Jats agreed to maintain
peace and harmony in the village. But the BSP acted smartly and
scuttled the entire move by creating tension during the mela at Talhan
village on Thursday afternoon,” he said.
Asked why the state government took five months to get the
representatives of the two communities to sit together to resolve the
issue, Mr Hanspal said the government was committed to maintaining
peace at all costs and sincere efforts were made by the government to
resolve the issue despite the fact that the political parties like the
BSP, the BJP and SAD (Badal) tried their level best to vitiate the
atmosphere.
Mediapersons also apprised the state Congress chief about the
indifferent attitude of the Deputy Commissioner, who had allegedly
tried to gag the Press by not issuing curfew passes for an on-the-spot
assessment of the situation. Mr Hanspal indicated that the state
government had decided to soon shift senior civil and police officials
for their failure to control the situation.
When asked whether he would visit the violence-hit areas, including
Buta Mandi and Talhan village, Mr Hanspal was quick to explain that
since curfew had been imposed in these areas, it was not proper for
him to go there. Interestingly, Bhai Mohkam Singh, chief spokesman of
Damdami Taksal, was yesterday allowed to visit the curfew-bound areas
without any curfew pass.
Regarding convening of an all-party meeting on the issue, Mr
Hanspal said it was too early to comment on the issue. |
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BSP
for action against guilty officials Nawanshahr, June 9 Jathedar Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, general secretary of the SHSAD and
former acting president of SGPC, has expressed grave concern over the
Talhan incident . |
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‘Take
Kesdhari Dalits on gurdwara panel’ Jalandhar, June 9 Asserting that Dalits had a special place in Sikhism, Mr Mann said
partisan attitude towards Dalits was rather against the Sikh rituals
and way of life and they deserved equality and high offices as all
other people. “Sikh religion will emerge stronger if Dalits are
taken along,” said Mr Mann adding that a number of Sikh martyrs, who
sacrificed their lives for the honour of Sikhism, belonged to the
Dalit community.
Expressing concern over growing outer interference in Sikh affairs
and religion by “Brahminical and fundamentalist” forces, Mr Mann
said the issue should be discussed at an appropriate platform. He also
demanded that a General House meeting of the SGPC be held to discuss
the Talhan issue. |
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‘End
confrontation between Jats, Dalits’ Sangrur, June 9 This has been demanded by the AFDR in an inquiry report related to
the confrontation between Jats and Dalits of Hasanpur village. The
report has been released by Mr Hardev Singh Rathi, district secretary
of the AFDR, here.
The AFDR has also demanded initiation of action against those who
have been exploiting the religious sentiments of the people and
encroaching upon the panchayat/shamlat land, so that peaceful
atmosphere could be saved from worsening. The AFDR in its report has
also virtually held the Jats responsible for the confrontation between
them and Dalits by stating that Jats seem to be in a mood to teach a
lesson to the Dalits. The report has also stated that there is no
weight in the argument that Dalits have encroached upon the shamlat
land in Hasanpur village.
The AFDR also stated that as per the information, gathered by the
inquiry team, the trouble started from the disposal of village filthy
water which was earlier released into a pond near samadh-cum-gurdwara,
but later it was allegedly diverted by the Jats, towards the land,
kept for construction of Valmiki temple near the Dalit dharamshala as
the Jats have a desire to take the pond’s land into their
possession.
The Dalits claimed that they had been facing a“ social boycott”
at the hands of Jats. |