AMRITSAR: An indefinite curfew was imposed in the “D” Division area of the city Oct 14 following clashes between the pro and anti-reservationists resulting in injuries to more than 12 persons.
The police fired in the air when a lathi charge failed to disperse the clashing groups outside Loh garh Gate on the Circular road. Sticks, brickbats and soda water bottles were freely used during a series of pitched battles between the warring protesters many of whom were wielding unsheathed swords.
The clashes resulted in high tension in certain areas around Lohgarh Gate where a large number of people came out in the streets of challenging the antireservation agitators.
The authorities clamped curfew in the localities falling between Lohgarh and Lahori Gate around 1:30 p.m. as precautionary measure. The curfew restrictions would remain in force till further order, the deputy commissioner Mr Sarabit Singh said. The situation he said, was well under control.
A partial bandh was observed in the city on the call given by the anti Mandal Commission organisations in protest against firing incident in which 2 students were injured. The impact of the bandh ‘were more pronounced in the walled city areas where a majority of shops and business establishments remained closed.
In fact tension had been brewing in the town in the wake of damage done to portraits of certain religious saints at the main bus station by certain hooligans.
In the morning nearly 500 antireservation agitators mostly students took out a procession in the walled areas forcing shopkeepers to observe bandh.
Trouble started when 1000 strong group of persons shouting slogans in favour of the Mandal report also took to the bazaars and asked shopkeepers to open their shops. The first clash between the warring factions took place near Shashtri market. The two sides exchanged stones and soda water bottles and indulged in counter sloganeering.
Around 12:30 p.m. tension again mounted when about 300 pro and anti Mandal report activists assembled on the road leading to Hindu college from Lohgarh gate. After slogan shouting, a clash ensued between the 2 sides in which stones were pelted on each other.
A lathi charge by the police failed to disperse the clashing groups which were also carrying sticks, rods and swords. Sensing the defiant mood of the mob, the police fired at least 3 rounds in the air to scare away the brick batting youth, and the administration imposed curfew in the “trouble prone areas” about 12 persons received injuries in the stone throwing. The Deputy Commissioner had ordered the closure of all educational institutions falling within the Corporation limit. Meanwhile, the AntiMandal Commission Front passed a resolution expressing regret over the damage to the religious portraits at the main bus stand.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 19, 1990
