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Ludhiana: Told to vacate Katani Kalan village, migrants move HC for protection of life, property
The village has 2,750 registered voters, of which more than 850 are migrants from other states who have settled there permanently; over 100 of them have fled
Days after the panchayat of Katani Kalan village passed seven resolutions, including one directing migrant labourers and tenants to vacate their rented houses and prohibiting shops from being rented out to non-locals, 15 migrants have filed a plea in the Punjab and Haryana high court, seeking protection of their life, liberty, dignity and property.
The high court (HC) issued a notice of motion to the Punjab government and other respondents. Additional advocate general Saurav Verma has accepted the notice. The matter will be heard on October 17.
The petitioners include Saumya Gupta, a local resident, who pleaded for immediate protective and preventive measures to safeguard life, liberty, dignity and property. The petitioners claimed that the resolution of Katani Kalan panchayat was unlawful and discriminatory.
According to petitioner’s husband Kulwinder Mattu, the panchayat has overstepped its authority by taking such decisions, which directly impact the livelihoods and rights of hundreds of families. “The panchayat’s resolution states that by October 15, all tenants—whether migrants or Punjabis—must vacate rented accommodations. It also decided that no shop should be rented to a migrant worker. Such resolutions are unconstitutional and a violation of the right to life and liberty,” he said.
Katani Kalan has over 300 residential quarters, most of which are occupied by migrant labourers working in local industrial units. The village has 2,750 registered voters, of which more than 850 are migrants from other states who have settled there permanently. “If the diktat is enforced, the village will suffer heavy economic losses as businesses will shrink. Migrant families who have lived here for years will be rendered homeless overnight,” Mattu added.
The petitioner argued that there is no law in the country that authorises anyone to expel individuals from a village, town or state. “We have approached the court to secure justice for the migrant community and protect their fundamental rights,” he added.
Following the controversial resolution, more than 100 migrant workers have already left the village, while others remain anxious about their future.
Following the murder of a five-year-old boy in Hoshiarpur last month, the panchayat of Katani Kalan village passed a series of controversial resolutions, raising serious questions about legality, discrimination and social justice. The panchayat directed all landlords to evict tenants—both migrant and local—by October 15. The panchayat further stipulated that only those with a Punjab Aadhaar card would be allowed to rent houses or shops in the village, effectively excluding tenants from other states, regardless of their legal rights.
After the kid’s murder, the state saw many protests against migrants in Hoshiarpur and other areas.
