About 20 days prior to 8.3.91 I was informed by the military post near my village that the Brigade Commander had called all the sarpanches, Panches & ex-servicemen at Saran-gara village camp (Army). People from 10-12 villages were called. We learnt from officials at the military camps that the Brigade Commander from Lopoke would address us.
There he told us that we should help control terrorism and stop the flow of arms etc, from across the border. We told him that the BSF and Army could not stop them how could we? He told us that it was our responsibility etc. Then on 8.3.91 again we were called to the Sarangara military camp and again the same officer who we were told on the earlier occasion as the Brigade Commander introduced himself as the Brigade Commander, After everyone had come and had assembled the brigade commander first asked if his voice was audible to everyone and then whether everyone under-stood Hindi. We all replied that we understood Hindi. Then he said that today I have come to tell you what I have to say and not listen to you, so no one should speak without his permission. He said that I have come to ask you that why some people started confronting the government. I want to tell you that I have served in the Army for 30 years out of which most of the time has been in Punjab and I know how to sort out the Sikhs and Punjab problem. Then he said that we will bring you to the military camps and beat you on your heads with shoes and humiliate you. When he said this one Sarpanch Surjit Singh of Ranian Village stood up and with folded hands said that you have insulted us enough and this is no less than actual shoe beating, so please let us go. He then said that I have not yet finished and so you sit down. The officer said that you all say that the boys are not in your control, we will bring your women folk to the military camps and before your eyes outrage them and produce a race of people and children who will listen to their parents, and like this we will finish the Punjabi race. Then the sarpanch of village Sarangra Sardar Narinder Singh stood up and said that with this insult and humiliation we cannot stay here any longer.
The Officer got very angry and told Narinder Singh to sit down and asked him his name. He was told that he was the sarpanch of Sarangra village and his name was Narinder Singh. The officer then said that you might be sarpanch and I have not come to put a turban on your head and honour you. Let one bullet be fired in any village and then I will show you what I will do to a sarpanch. Then he told another officer sitting on his side to take down Narinder Singh’s name and then asked Narinder Singh how many sons he had and when he was told that he had 3 sons, that was also taken note of, The officer then told us that we should not be taken in ‘by the statements of the Governor about respecting the panchayats and not harassing the innocent people because that is all nonsense and the army has been given some powers .and will -get more power and then we will south out the whole -of Punjab, Even the Prime Minister cannot do anything he cannot stop my promotion and harm my career, innocent people were killed by the army in Nathu Kar Burj who could do anthing. Then we all stood up and started leaving and when we came out of the school building an officer of the rank of a Major offered used tea and said that he was in-charge of the camp and he had the tea prepared, ‘but I said that our feeling have been hurt and we have been insulted we will not have anything and we will from now boycott the army. With this we left.
Then we came to the village Sarangra and after holding a meeting resolved that our only fault for being humiliated by the army in this manar was that we were representative of the people, we cannot take it anymore and we all decided to resign as sarpanches and panches, On 9.3.01 we all went to-Amritsar D.C’s residence but could not meet him and so we left a copy of written statement narrating the whole incident und saying that we are therefore resigning and asking for security against the army. A copy each was also sent to the President, P.M, Chief Secy Punjab, Governor Punjab.
Question :- For your statement sent to our office you have named the Brigade Commander S.M Sinh how did you learn his name ?
Answer :- When the statement was written the name of the officer was error sly written as S.My Sinh but later on enquiry we learnt that the Brigade Commander of Lopoke’s correct name was R.P. Singh.
Question :- Do you have anything else to say?
Answer :- Then some days later a police officer of the rank of S.P. (HQ) Amritsar brought a message of the ‘D.C. Amritsar that we panches should not resign and the administration would honour us. Our statements were also taken by him,
Questions :- Do you have anything more to say about the incident?
Answer :- After this incident we all in this region are feeling quite terrorized and insecure, more so the sarpanche: and panches are apprehensive that the army might do us harm and force us to change our statements so silence our voices by force.
