PROTESTING FARMERS LATHI-CHARGED

At least 12 persons were injured when in a pre-dawn swoop, the police cane-charged and chased away farmers sitting on an indefinite dharna outside the district office complex here to protest against the “forcible” acquisition of agriculture land in Gobindpura village for a thermal power plant in the private sector.

Some elderly farmers were among those injured. By noon, farmers from Bathinda and Mansa districts assembled in strength in Bahaini Bagha village, 8 km away, and began to march towards Mansa to resume the dharna.

The police deployed in strength at the highway equipped with riot control vehicles did not stop the farmers who re-assembled at the district office complex and resumed the dharna.District police chief SPS Parmar denied that the police had resorted to a lathi charge. He said the police suspected that some mischievous elements had joined the protesters and could create trouble. Hence, the police had been deployed in strength in the area.

An elderly farmer, Teja Singh, who had come from Sangrur to join the dharna, showed his bloodstained pyjama and said he had sustained injuries on his leg when beaten up by policemen. Another farmer Joginder Singh had a bandaged leg. Jagraj Singh said the police reached the dharna site in strength at 5.30 am and started beating the farmers without any provocation.

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Farmers lay siege to Mansa admn complex

 Twenty protesters arrested after mild cane charge at Gobindpura village.

An estimated 10,000 farmers from various districts of Punjab today thronged the Mansa Deputy Commissioner’s office in protest against the land acquisition in Gobindpura village and the BDA Enclave, Bathinda.


Women, children and the elderly were among the protesters. They squatted at the open space in front of the official residence of the Mansa SSP where they held langar (community kitchen) and served tea and snacks.
The farmers demanded restoration of land to the farmers who had not accepted government cheques, Rs 1 lakh compensation to farmhands, withdrawal of police security from Gobindpura village and a notification to cancel land acquisition at the BDA Enclave in Bathinda.


Farmers of 17 unions decided to continue the dharna till their demands were met. While the number of farmers kept swelling, a handful of policemen were seen deployed at the protest site. The farmers arrived in tractor-trailers, trucks, SUVs and cars which led to chaos on all roads leading to Mansa. Family members from Ward No. 5 of the BDA enclave, Bathinda, also reached Mansa to register their protest against “forcible acquisition” of land for Urban Estate Phase-IV and V. Twenty farmers were arrested after a mild cane charge at Gobindpura village in the evening.


The police searched a house where they took away Rs 20, 000 in cash, alleged farmers’ leader Ram Singh.
Read more:http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110823/punjab.htm#1

All entry roads to Mansa sealed

Authorities prepare for protest over acquisition by 17 farmers’ unions today

The district headquarters and areas in its vicinity have been turned into police cantonments in preparation for the indefinite dharna by 17 farmers’ unions tomorrow against the “forcible” acqauisition of land in Gobindpura village for setting up a thermal power plant in the private sector.

The farmers will stage dharnas outside the offices of DCs at Mansa, Jalandhar and Amritsar. All entry routes to Mansa have been virtually sealed to prevent the march of farmers to Gobindpura. Inspector-General of Police NS Dhillon and other senior officers tried to persuade the farmers to put off their agitation but in vain.

Police contingents have been rushed here from other districts of the state to maintain law and order. Owners of the disputed 171 acres of land warned that they would defy the prohibitory orders and enter their fields.

The Congress is trying to keep the pot boiling and PPCC chief Captain Amarinder Singh has announced that the Congress would launch a morcha from September 2 against the acquisition. The Congress has announced that the acquisition would be scrapped and the property returned to the owners if the Congress comes to power after the assembly elections.

Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal has denied that the land was acquired forcibly for the thermal plant. “Most farmers had volunteered to offer their land as against the market value of about Rs 5 lakh per acre, they were paid around Rs 24 lakh per acre”, he said.

Sukhbir accused the Congress of playing politics and creating hurdles in the path of development of Punjab by harping on the Gobindpura issue.

Sukhdev Singh, general secretary of the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan), said the acquisition of fertile land was a matter of life and death for the farmers. He accused Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Badal of trying to mislead the people on the issue.

Gurdeep Singh Mann adds from Bathinda: Leaders of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), Ugraha, have decided to support the family members of those whose land was "forcibly" acquired by the government to build the Urban Estate, Phases IV and V. Various farmer unions, including the Ugraha group, are already protesting against the land acquisition at Gobindpura village in Mansa district.

Another showdown on cards

Farmers to stage dharnas outside the offices of DCs at Mansa, Jalandhar and Amritsar

Police contingents rushed to Mansa from other districts of the state

Sukhbir accuses Congress of playing politics, denies land was forcibly acquired

PPCC chief Amarinder has announced that the Congress would launch a morcha from Sept 2 against the acquisition

The Cong has also announced the acquisition would be scrapped and the property returned to the owners if the Congress comes to power

Flag march at Gobindpura

MANSA: Flag march by a contingent of police officials using sirens on Sunday panicked the villagers of Gobindpura where a piece of agricultural land is being acquired by the Punjab Government for Indiabulls to setup a thermal power plant. “The vehicles were fitted with ear piercing sirens and villagers, especially the children and elderly, got panicked,” said village resident Gurmeet Singh Moni. 

Read More:http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110822/punjab.htm#1

THOUSANDS ATTEND CREMATION OF FARMER WHO DIED AT MANSA

Thousands of people here today attended the last rites of the farmer who was allegedly killed in the police lathi charge at Kot Dunna village last evening. The farmers were protesting against the acquisition of their land for a thermal plant at Gobindpura in Mansa.

The district administration has agreed to give Rs 5 lakh as compensation to the family of the deceased farmer, besides recommending a job for one member of the family. The body of the farmer, Surjeet Singh of Hameedi village, was taken to the cremation ground in a procession by villagers and activists of 17 organisations of farmers and labourers.

Those participating in the procession raised slogans like “Kisano ki qatil Badal sarkar, murdabad murdabad”, Shaheed Surjeet Singh Hameedi ko laal salaam”. Addressing the gathering at the cremation ground, BKU (Ugrahan) senior vice-president Jhanda Singh Jaithokey said farmers would continue their fight against the Badal government against the “forcible” acquisition of farmers’ land. The sacrifice of Surjeet Singh Hameedi would not go waste, he added.

Sangrur MP Vijayinder Singla and Barnala MLA Kewal Singh Dhillon visited the home of the deceased farmer and also attended his last rites. They said, “We demand a judicial probe into the land acquisition at Gobindpura for the thermal plant, besides seeking a probe into the farmer’s killing.” “As no open tenders were called for the Gobindpura thermal plant land, there may be some underhand deal between the private company and the Badal government.

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Agitating Mansa farmers jailed

Even as more than 400 farmers, who were rounded up by the police yesterday from various villages while they were protesting against the alleged occupation of landholdings of the farmers by civil and police administration, were sent to the Bathinda jail, a section of the farmers organisations have announced that they would start a battle against the Punjab Government from tomorrow.

While the farmers alleged that the civil and police authorities forcibly occupied their landholdings for giving the same to a private company for setting up the thermal plant in Gobindpura and its surrounding villages in the Bareta area of the district, Deputy Commissioner Ravinder Singh said about 93 per cent of the farmers, whose lands were acquired for the project, had taken the money in lieu of the same so far. Congress MLA from Budhlada Mangat Rai Bansal, who was also taken into custody, was released after two hours.

DC Ravinder Singh and DIG PS Grewal, who addressed a joint press conference here, said 38 residents of Gobindpura village were released today. He claimed that no resident of Mansa district was harassed by the police.

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