On Wednesday 30th November 2022, Punjab police lathi-charged farm labourers protesting for their various demands outside the residence of chief minister Bhagwant Mann in Sangrur. Bharatiya Khet Mazdoor Union and Sanjha Mazdoor Morcha, a joint platform of eight labour unions of Punjab had called for this agitation.
Hundreds of labourers gathered near Patiala – Bathinda road in Sangrur in the morning and held a protest there. In the afternoon around 3 pm, they started to march towards the CM’s residence. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has rented accommodation in Sangrur’s Dreamland Colony area. When the protestors started gathering near the private colony, police stopped them. In an effort to keep the crowd out of the area, the police unleashed the lathi charge as the crowds increased.
#WATCH | Punjab Police lathi-charged Mazdoor Union people who were marching towards CM Bhagwant Mann’s residence in Sangrur regarding their various demands pic.twitter.com/MkpxdNSNQf
— ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2022
On social media, a video of the event has gone viral. In the footage, Punjab police officers are seen unleashing lathi charges against the protesting labourers. The videos also show that Sangrur superintendent of police (SP) Manpreet Singh led the cane-charging. He himself was hitting people and directing other cops to do the same.
The protestors requested to meet with CM Bhagwant Mann to discuss their numerous requests, including wage increases, but they were not allowed to meet the CM. The demands of the protestors included an increase of minimum daily wages to ₹700 under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 (MGNREGA), implementation of five-marla plot schemes for Dalits, and allotment of the third part of common panchayat land on lease to the community.
Zameen Prapti Sangharsh Committee President Mukesh Malaud said that earlier the Chief Minister had promised a meeting with them, but later he refused to meet. Therefore they were forced to protest to raise their demands.
While the bulk of AAP ministers and even the CM have been campaigning in Gujarat for the state’s Assembly elections over the last month, Punjab has remained a hotspot of unrest. In response to the quest by the farmers, the AAP-led Punjab administration claims that it barely took office eight months ago and that it needs time to fulfil its promises.
Earlier, while announcing the protests of November 30, Zora Singh Nasrali, president of Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union (PKMU) which is a part of Sanjha Mazdoor Morcha had said, “We had a few meetings with CM Bhagwant Mann, finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema and bureaucrats in the past but our last meeting with Mann was scheduled for October 3 but it was called off. And after that, no date for the meeting was announced. Officials gave us assurance but not in writing. Hence, we have no other choice but to protest outside the CM’s house.”
