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Blockade on Chandigarh-Mohali border: Small business owners bear the brunt of protest
12 pro-Khalistan organisations of Punjab, under the banner of Quami Insaaf Morcha, accompanied by farmer unions, have been camping near the YPS Chowk since January 7 to press for the release of Sikh prisoners lodged in different jails despite completion of their jail sentences. As they are trying to march to the Punjab CM’s residence, security has been beefed up near the Sector 52/53 dividing road on the Chandigarh-Mohali border.
Two days after witnessing a violent attack by Sikh protesters, Mansa Ram sits helplessly in his makeshift barber shop, situated near the Sector 52/53 dividing road on the Chandigarh-Mohali border.
For the past 15 days, he has not earned a single penny. “No one comes here anymore,” he says as he watches police personnel and members of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) pass through his shop to cross over to the Mohali side from Chandigarh.
“Kuch udhaar le kar guzara kar raha hoon (I have taken loans for sustenance),” says Mansa Ram, who has to provide for a family of six, including his wife and four children.
Like him, a woman selling tea near the spot has also lost her livelihood. She is nowhere to be seen ever since the police set up barricades to stop protesters from entering Chandigarh.
12 pro-Khalistan organisations of Punjab, under the banner of Quami Insaaf Morcha, accompanied by farmer unions, have been camping near the YPS Chowk since January 7 to press for the release of Sikh prisoners lodged in different jails despite completion of their jail sentences. With the protesters continuing to make bids to march towards the Punjab chief minister’s residence in Chandigarh, security has been beefed up on this border, throwing life out of gear for commuters, small business owners and others near this spot.
No arrests so far
Two days on, Chandigarh police are yet to make arrests in violent clash that took place on the Mohali-Chandigarh border, in which 33 cops were injured. The first information report (FIR) registered by the Chandigarh Police had said that the violence was part of a “well-thought conspiracy”.
Police have invoked sections of attempt to murder, robbery, rioting and Arms Act in the FIR in which six persons have been booked by name, including Gurcharan Singh, foster father of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) chief Jagtar Singh Hawara, who was convicted of assassinating former Punjab CM Beant Singh, Balwinder Singh of the Lok Adhikar Lehar, Amar Singh Chahal, advocate of Hawara, Dilsher Singh Jandiala, assisting advocate of Hawara, Jaswinder Singh Rajpura, president of the Akaal Youth, a body established under the direction of Hawara, Rupinderjit Singh and others.
“Our present aim is to diffuse the tension,” said a senior official when asked why no arrests have been made.
Police remained on toes
The Chandigarh police remained on its toes on Friday as well, as a jatha of Sikh protesters walked to the Mohali border on Sector 52/53 dividing road from YPS Chowk with an aim to march towards the CM’s official residence in Chandigarh. Senior police officers of Chandigarh police, including senior superintendent of police Manisha Choudhary and superintendent of police (city) Shruti Arora remained on the border to ensure law-and-order, and prevent a repeat of Wednesday’s incident.
Thirty-one members of the union, led by Inderbir Singh, who were earlier allowed to walk till the border on Thursday, performed a “paath” at the spot on Friday as well.
Inderbir said, “We have been protesting peacefully. The violence and stone pelting seen on Wednesday was carried out miscreants planted by the administration to disintegrate the morcha. We only want release of Sikh prisoners and arrest of the Behbal Kalan case accused. We will fight for justice for our community till we succeed.”
(With inputs from Nikhil Sharma in Mohali)
Bar body demands removal of advocate’s name from FIR
Chandigarh: The district bar association of Chandigarh, on Friday morning, announced a strike to condemn the inclusion of advocate Amar Singh Chahal’s name in the FIR registered by the Chandigarh police over Wednesday’s violence. They, however, called it off after assurance from the Chandigarh Police.
Bar association president Shankar Gupta said, “After we announced the strike, the police reached out to us. We went with a delegation of former presidents of the association and office members and met deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Charanjit Singh Virk and the station house officers of Sector 34 and Sector 36 police stations who were present at the protest site. They told us that the advocate’s name was included because of a clerical mistake and will be rectified. Thus we called off the strike.”
Members of the association claimed that the advocate was present at the district courts complex in Sector 43 at the time of the protest.
Lawyers for Human Rights International, Chandigarh unit also condemned the incident. President Tejinder Singh Sudan demanded a judicial inquiry into the episode.
