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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Dozens of farmers injured as police break up protest in Punjab

Dozens of farmers injured as police break up protest in Punjab

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published Published on Aug 25, 2011   modified Modified on Aug 25, 2011

-The Hindu

 

They were objecting to ‘forcible' land acquisition for power project

At least two dozen farmers were injured when the police resorted to a baton charge in the early hours of Thursday to break up their agitation against land acquisition in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office at Gobindpura of Punjab's Mansa district.

The farmers, owing allegiance to 17 organisations, were protesting against what they called forcible acquisition of fertile land across Gobindpura, Sirsiwala, Jalbera and Bareta villages for a 1,320-MW thermal plant to be established by a private company. About 880 acres is needed for the project.

Though the agitation has been going on for almost four months, the 17 organisations launched a simultaneous sit-in in front of the offices of Deputy Commissioners in Mansa, Amritsar and Jalandhar districts on August 22.

The protesters, who set August 26 as the deadline for the State government to resolve the issue, toned down their rhetoric after Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal invited them for talks on August 28.
 
No provocation

Witnesses said there was no provocation for the use of force, as most of the protesters were asleep when the policemen moved in. The bewildered farmers ran for cover. However, by afternoon, about 300 farmers regrouped in Bhaini Baghan village, marched to the Deputy Commissioner's office and reclaimed the site before resuming the protest.
 
Higher compensation

Residents said the problem started when owners of 166 acres sought a higher compensation. However, the farmers refused to part with their land after 800 of them were detained while staging an agitation in June.

The Congress, which has argued that the plant is being set up without any bid having been called, has condemned the police action. While party legislators have courted arrest on the issue in the past, Congress president Amarinder Singh has called for a protest for September 2.

Though the area is in the Bathinda constituency, represented by Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur, wife of party president Sukhbir Singh Badal, the issue was raised in the Parliament by Gurdaspur MP Partap Singh Bajwa.

On the other hand, Gobindpura farmers' association chief Balwan Singh was critical of the protesting farmers. Talking to journalists at the Chandigarh Press Club, he said that while the shareholders of 700 acres had accepted the compensation, only 26 shareholders of five families declined it. A majority of the people in the area favoured the project, he claimed, arguing that it would spur development, especially since the sugar mill at Buddhlada was shut down.


The Hindu, 26 August, 2011, http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2397552.ece


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