FARIDKOT, India: Ajit Gill on Jaito Kot Kapura road is like any other villager in Punjab. Flowing beards and “gatras” are a common sight. At around 4 p.m. four jeeps carrying leaders and workers of communist party of India reached the village ‘as part of the State wide march launched by the party against violence and fundamentalism. They were two hours behind schedule.
The account of this campaign is contained in the Indian Express written by Jagtar Singh, a pro PL journalist. A few elders were waiting for the communists. After the pleasantries were exchanged one of the elders burst out in anger and started talking about State terrorism.
The Indian Express team accompanied them to the village. They started’ coming out with what the State means to them.
Killings, and encounters and harassment by the police and security forces. Another person sitting nearby lashed out at the Centre saying it is these leaders at the Centre who have received a kickback from the defense deals that are betraying the country and not a handful of youth. The audience sitting separately was hostile to anything said against the freedom fighters. Nevertheless, they listened silently to a 1/2 hour speech by Sukhminder S. Dhaliwal a district secretary of C.PI. Which was more in the form of direct dialogue? Wherever communists are trying their best to reach the people. They encounter strong support for the freedom fighters.
The villagers complained no political’ party was coming forward to condemn state terrorism. State terrorism has become the main issue in this district at the moment.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 10, 1987
