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Punjab: Money, muscle power behind bloody clashes to seize control of truck unions

By, Chandigarh
Apr 06, 2022 12:14 AM IST

Bloody clashes and tensions over controlling truck unions are not new to Punjab, which sees such incidents every time a new party takes the reins

The clash between two Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) factions over controlling the local truck union that left four people injured in Abohar on Monday was at least fifth such incident across Punjab within a week, days after the AAP formed government in the state.

A clash between two AAP factions over controlling the local truck union left four people injured in Abohar on Monday. (Video grab)
A clash between two AAP factions over controlling the local truck union left four people injured in Abohar on Monday. (Video grab)

Bloody clashes and tensions over controlling truck unions are not new to the state, which sees such incidents every time a new party takes the reins.

In 2017 too, when the Congress came to power after a decade-long Akali rule, similar attempts to seize the control of truck unions were seen for nearly one month, in which three people had died and nearly 40 were injured.

This time around, clashes have been witnessed in Abohar, Jaito, Moga, Sadiq and Bhawanigarh since March 27, which have left at least 30 people injured. It is being alleged that the ruling AAP’s attempt to take control of the unions triggered all these fights.

Of cuts and nexus

Apart from providing muscle power to the local leaders, these unions also involve a lot of money, due to which politicians whose party comes to power try to adjust their favourites on the lucrative posts. Such is the profit involved in the business that Punjab has nearly 130 unions, but most of the presidents don’t even own trucks and “grab” the post with the backing of political leaders.

Insiders claim that at many places, agreements for transportation of goods are done in the name of the truck union president, who generally takes a huge cut from the official charges. According to a former president of a truck union in Malwa, the state government has also kept various lacunae that the union president exploits to earn money from truck operators.

“For example, in the procurement season, the government gives the contract for lifting of wheat and paddy up to seven kilometres directly to private contractors involved in loading and unloading. These contractors form a nexus with the union president and earn huge sums of money by ensuring big cuts, citing low carriage to the operators. It is the task of the union president to ensure everything runs smoothly,” says the person cited above.

Similarly, in many places, factories sign contract for carriage of their products with the union presidents. In these cases too, the transportation charges meant for truck operators are transferred into the president’s or the union’s bank account. In a small union having around 100 trucks, a corrupt president can earn 5-10 lakh a month, a truck operator said on the condition of anonymity.

The return of unions

Truck unions were abolished by then chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh in July 2017, in a bid to end the cartelisation of goods transport.

The Punjab Goods Carriages (Regulation and Prevention of Cartelisation Rules), 2017, barred good carriage operators from forming cartels or unions in the state. Various industrial associations had also welcomed the move.

However, his successor Charanjit Singh Channi, apparently in a bid to gain support of these unions, announced to reinstate them on January 7 this year, just hours before the model code of conduct came into force for the assembly elections.

In a meeting of truck operators before the polls in Dera Bassi, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab unit chief (and now, CM) Bhagwant Mann had said that only truck operators will be allowed to sit on the union president’s post.

All Punjab Truck Operator Union president Happy Sandhu admits there is a “huge political muscle power” of the ruling leaders behind the unions owing to corruption.

“Capt Amarinder Singh had abolished the unions, but we brought them back after a long struggle. However, it is unfortunate to see that political interference in these unions continues to result in clashes. A few black sheep are earning a bad name for the unions,” says Sandhu.

RECENT CLASHES

April 4: Clash among two AAP factions over truck union’s control leave four people injured in Abohar; one group allegedly supported by a newly elected legislator

April 4: Four persons injured in Moga; AAP MLA suspends a party worker over allegations that he was trying to capture the post of local truck union president

March 31: Four people injured as members owing allegiance to the sitting AAP MLA and the incumbent office-bearers clash in Jaito

March 29: In Sadiq, AAP factions enter into a fight. The new truck union president is said to be a close aide of the AAP block president

March 27: Workers come to blows in Bhawanigarh, after AAP leader “captures” the truck union president’s post

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