GURDASPUR: About 200 Sarpanchs and panches (village headmen and councilmen) of Gurdaspur district has told the commissioner of Jalandhar division KuIdip Singh Janjua on February 14. 1989 that they have been severely beaten by the police after they met governor of Punjab, S.S. Ray, to convey their grievances to him.
It may be recalled that the sarpanches and panches of this district submitted their mass resignation to the state government against the police repression towards the Sikhs of the district. When these mass resignations attracted the attention of media the governor himself decided to hear their viewpoints and complaints. But the police made all efforts to block their presence before the governor. ‘As a result only a very few persons could manage to meet the governor, Accordingly the state public relation machinery made out a case that the people had generally no grouse against the police but again the news media started giving the stories of the police repression on which resulted in asking the commissioner of Jalandhar division to meet the sarpanches and panches to know their genuine cause of annoyance.
It may further be added that police chief Gobind Ram of Batala has let lose the reign of terror in the area, against whose attitude the people had come out openly to fight out the repression.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 24, 1989
