SUARA (ROPAR): Propagation and promotion of militancy was not the only occupation of Gursharan Singh Gama and Daljit Singh Bittu, if one goes by the “agricultural revolution” ‘of sorts brought about by them in this area.

Bittu and Gama were arrested last ‘week in a midnight swoop from this village, where they had built a modest farm house. Gama had purchased 32 acres of land when he had shifted to Suara in 1985. He later bought another 28 acres on the banks of Swan, a Satluj tributary, Gumaib Singh, exsarpan h of the adjoining village Nalhoti, said that Gama was a farmer who taught progressive farming to the lethargic people of this flood: Ravaged area.

‘He managed to tumachunk of waste Jand purchased at the market rates, into a profit making proposition, He not only lent his agricultural tools to the villagers, but also educated them about how to grow sugarcane on scientific basis. The price of land in the area appreciated considerably after the farmers learnt that flood affected land can also be put to good use.

The villagers revealed that the duo did not mix much with the locals and Pattee Tose OT enna did not participate in any violation also. This kind of life style was a Ranjit Kaur, 38, wife of Gama revealed that they had shifted to this village 12 years back from their native village Chhandran, in Jalandhar district. Her husband changed his name to, Jagjit Singh and told the je that he had migrated Orissa in the wake of Hols, Surprisingly, Ranjit Kaur feigned ignorance about the activities of Bittu and Gama.

Contrary to the statement made by GA main the court of Ludhiana, where he was produced last week, Ranjit Kaur said that her two sons Bhavjinder Singh, 16, and Gur simran Singh, 13, were not in police custody. They were in a state of shock after the police raid and had been staying with friends in the village. The Human Rights Pro election Council has moved a habeas corpus petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Count, seeking its intervention to get Ranjit Kaur and her son released.

 

Article extracted from this publication >>  April 17, 1996