ROPAR, Punjab, India: What inspired the exodus of migrant laborers after their massacre near SYL Canal in Ropar district and similar killings elsewhere in Punjab? Are the security forces personnel deliberately scaring away the laborers? At least the intelligence reports and information from reliable sources have alleged the involvement of certain security men, The district administration has also reportedly received number of complaints in this regard from certain officers engaged in the construction of SYL Canal and from some brick kiln owners in the district,
The sources disclosed that a police party headed by an ASI. abused some laborers at Shampura village on May 20 and asked them to go back to their native states, On May 21, certain police officers went to the immigrant labor camps at Bhaggo Majra and beat them up. The scared laborers left for their home the next morning.
Similar reports have been received from Chamkaur Sahib. Another report from village Bhartgarh, said that on May 21 a large number of laborers who were camping there under a bridge, escaped an attempted attack from some armed gunmen. Some laborers on seeing the gunmen ran away and some jumped into the Canal in Panic. The gunmen ran away on finding some C.R.P.P. Jawans. As a result of fear, all the laborers rushed back to their home states.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 3, 1988
