Dalit families leave Sangrur village after last week’s clash

Tension continues to prevail at Jhalur village in Sangrur a week after a clash between Dalits and landlords, which left 30 people injured.

Tension continues to prevail at Jhalur village in Sangrur a week after a clash between Dalits and landlords, which left 30 people injured.

A Dalit’s house that was attacked during a clash at Jhalur village in Sangrur. (HT Photo)

Fearing for their life, at least 20 Dalits families have already left the village. The clash took place over cultivation of village common land between upper caste landlords, allegedly supported by local Akali leaders, and Dalits, who are members of the Zameen Prapti Sangharsh Committee.

The village has over 170 Dalit families. Shankar Badra, a Dalit, told HT that members of the upper caste community have stopped selling milk to them and landlords were not allowing Dalits to work in their fields. “We are also not sending our children to school out of fear,” he said.

The Dalits have rejected the three-member probe committee, including Moonak sub-divisional magistrate and superintendent of police (detective), constituted by the government to probe the incident. Sangharsh committee member Gurmukh Singh said the probe panel was formed to hush up the matter and the authorities were backing landlords.

Moonak deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Akashdeep Singh Aulakh, however, rejected the reports of tension in the village and said the situation is fast returning to normalcy. “People who have left don’t want peace in the village,” he said, adding the Dalits were not being discriminated.

The DSP said cross first information reports (FIRs) and attempt to murder charges have been slapped on members of both the parties.