Parvesh Sharma
Tribune News Service
Sangrur, September 16
Promises made by politicians to extend the lease time of reserved plots for Dalits from panchayat land and ensure their allotment to them at lower rates are likely to create problems for parties in the near future.
Dalits have collected videos and written evidence to post on social media to expose politicians. Groups are also being formed in villages to question politicians separately from farmers.
Plan Social media campaign
We have decided to expose all politicians through social media by launching a campaign in 114 villages of Sangrur. There are many videos wherein Congress, SAD and other party leaders can be seen supporting our demands. — Mukesh Malaud, ZPSC zonal head
In Sangrur, anger among Dalits has been simmering for long as successive governments have neither various fixed any lower annual lease money for reserved land nor allegedly helped them to take pieces of land in their respective villages on annual lease.
Of the total panchayat land, 33 per cent is reserved for Dalits. It has always been a bone of contention between Dalits and upper caste landlords, who have been taking reserved land using their Dalit servants as dummy bidders.
“We have decided to expose the lies of all politicians through social media by launching a campaign in 114 villages of Sangrur. We have traced many videos wherein leaders of the Congress, SAD and others can be heard supporting our demands and promising to meet them immediately after coming to power. But nothing has happened as yet,” said Mukesh Malaud, zonal president, Zameen Prapati Sangharash Committee (ZPSC).
The main demands of Dalits include formation of societies of Dalits in villages and allotment of reserved land to these societies for at least 33 years, fixation of lower annual lease money for reserved land and Dalits should have right to identify the dummy bidders.
“We have prepared a questionnaire and like farmers, Dalits would also question politicians separately from farmers to get written assurances for their demands” said Parmjit Kaur, Zonal Secretary of ZPSC.
Now, Dalits to question leaders in Punjab villages
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