Balwinder Singh alias Roman Brar, 30, is the convener of the Sanjha Morcha Zira, which has been spearheading an agitation of local farmers outside a liquor manufacturing unit at Mansurwal village in Zira constituency in Punjab’s Ferozepur district since July 24 to demand complete closure of this factory owned by a former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader. The protesters charge that the alcohol factory has been polluting groundwater in Mansurwal and adjoining villages. They have also got the support of many farmer unions now, even as they accuse the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of cracking down on them. A chef by profession, Roman Brar speaks to The Indian Express on a range of issues related to the Sanjha Morcha Zira’s continuing agitation. Excerpts: Why was the agitation against the Zira liquor plant launched? I am a hotel management graduate and have experience of working in different restaurants of Chandigarh for about five years. In mid-July, I had come to my village Maiyanwala Kalan in Zira constituency of the border district Ferozepur, when the digging of a borewell was going on in the village gurdwara. We were shocked when at a depth of 670 feet, we found polluted water which was smelling like the waste of raw liquor. A liquor factory Malbros International Private Ltd has been operational in Mansurwal village located about 4 km from our village. So we could join the dots. The polluted water's colour was dark brown. We raised the issue with the authorities concerned, but as the administration remained unmoved, we launched an indefinite dharna outside the factory in Mansurwal village on July 24, which is still going on. As it became the people's movement, so we named it Sanjha Morcha Zira. How did the agitation proceed and how many villages have joined the dharna? Initially, the dharna was started by farmers from Mansurwal, Maiyanwala Kalan and 2-3 more villages. Gradually, within a month's time it involved around 40-45 villages. I think the administration was first non-serious about it and thought what can 40 villages do. On August 20, we gave a call for Zira bandh over our demand for closure of the liquor factory which proved to be a huge success with the Zira people speaking in one voice that they want the liquor unit to be shut. However, it seems that the government has taken us too lightly. Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer is Punjab’s environment minister but he hasn't spoken even a word on the issue. Deep Malhotra, a liquor baron in north India, is the MD of this unit, who had been a SAD MLA of Faridkot from 2012-2017… However we are just demanding a clean environment, we are not bothered who runs the unit. As of now 55 different unions in Punjab have supported this dharna, including 34 farmer unions of Punjab under the aegis of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM). Over 1,000 persons employed in this factory might lose their jobs as the unit has been lying closed since July 24. Don't you think that employment generation is also a must for people? What we need is clean environment. We are not against any industry — we are against pollution. There are many cancer patients in the villages. The productivity of the soil is very less. Animal health is also not good. So, now everything needs to be studied. What if this pollution destroys our villages. We need jobs but not at the cost of our health. How different political parties have approached this stir? The Opposition parties have broadly remained silent on the issue as every political party is pro-corporate, one cannot deny this fact. The AAP government is also pro-corporate as it has remained very keen to get the liquor unit opened. Though Congress, BJP and SAD issued a few statements in the past one week in our support, but they have also remained silent all along. On December 20, however, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Congress MP from Amritsar, raised this issue in Parliament. How did the agitation came to a head over the past week? In September the liquor unit moved the High Court to get our dharna shifted at least 300 mts away from the existing location. But as the Punjab government failed to do so, ahead of the next court hearing on December 20, the government launched repression against us. On December 18, the police lodged an FIR against 14 villagers and around 100 unidentified persons. On December 19 morning, they arrested nearly 46 persons and detained many others. They started conducting raids at different places to arrest the Morcha leaders and even arrested a few of them. On December 20, a confrontation took place between cops and protesters. Till now over 400 unidentified people have also been booked in 3-4 different FIRs out of which nearly 100 have been slapped with attempt to murder charges as well. Besides, 11 persons, including me, have been booked for power theft as well. There was no point in such repression as people were peacefully protesting for a cause. The court fined the government Rs 20 crore for the liquor unit’s loss and to our surprise they (government) have attached properties of many farmers who are active participants of dharna. Now after continuous repression, they had to bow down to public pressure and so they released unconditionally all 46 arrested persons late on Saturday. We will now try to get the FIRs quashed and also get attached properties freed. How long will this dharna continue? In the wake of the continuous repression against us, it has now become a public movement. It is a movement being largely supported by rural Punjab. We will not rest till the time this liquor unit is closed permanently. Punjab government has constituted four different committees to study pollution-levels of water and soil, general health, and animal health, which have started their work. Two members from our morcha are also part of each of these committees, but we will take part in this exercise only when the FIRs will be quashed. We will not lift dharna, our fight to seek clean environment will continue. Farmer agitation at Delhi borders has taught us a lot about how to fight against injustice and we are ready for it.
