Dalits allege social boycott…

Members of the Balmiki community in this village today alleged that the Jat community socially boycotted them following an incident that took place on Sunday, when a gurdwara granthi was beaten up by a Dalit mob.

However later, after SP(H) Satinder Singh cajoled both the parties to bury the hatched, they claimed to have reached a compromise.

The Dalits were annoyed over a religious discourse by the granthi in which he allegedly used some objectionable remarks against Lord Balmiki. Though no case was registered for beating up the granthi, who was saved by timely action by police and the civil administration, the police had booked the members of Jat community under the SC/ST Act and attempt to murder for beating up a Dalit, Rajinder Singh.

However, the administration denied social boycott of Dalits. Heavy police force has been deployed to defuse tension. “Dalits were not

allowed to take fodder from the fields of Jats and milkmen have also stopped selling them milk,” said Jaswinder Singh, a villager.

“We cannot use STD booths and also cannot get our grains ground at village flour mill,” said another Dalit. Karmi, a Dalit woman working under the Pendu Sikhya Vikas Committee (PSVC), alleged that she was expelled from work today morning.

Villagers working in the grain market, including Nikki, Baljit, Taro, Paramjit, Bille, alleged that they were told by the commission agents not to come for work.

Notably on Sunday, over 100 Dalits, led by one Bhulla and former sarpanch Jasbir Kaur, and others entered the gurdwara and dragged the granthi to the courtyard and started beating him up.

They allegedly also took off his turban, which was returned on Monday after the intervention of police and the civil administration. Former sarpanch Malkiat Singh denied any social boycott. He said the villagers were being instigated by the outsiders for political reasons.

Shahkot SDM Jasbir Singh said there was no social boycott and no one has been expelled from jobs.

When asked about Karmi’s case, he said he has told PSVC and grain market employees not to resort to such actions. He said after the incident, people were communicating less and things would normalise after sometime.

Meanwhile, Tarsem Peter of the Pendu Mazdoor Union has submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Jalandhar, demanding an end to “social boycott”.