Maur Mandi/Bathinda- Bathinda police took dozens of farmers into custody in protest against the arrest of a large number of leaders including farmer leader Kaka Singh Kotda, who were protesting against the pipeline being laid to Kotfatta's Lasara drain (via Ghasokhana village) for the drainage of dirty water in Maur Mandi.
After the police blockade failed, the farmers were successful in taking to the streets. The police was successful in thwarting the farmers' march, but the policy of restricting the farmers to the fields could not be thwarted. The farmers, who arrived under the leadership of Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta Sidhupur, had called for a sit-in in Bathinda against these arrests.
In view of the visit of the Chief Minister of Punjab to Bathinda, due to this announcement of the farmers, the area near the district administrative complex was transformed into a police cantonment. The police had deployed its equipment to deal with any untoward situation and buses etc. were present on the spot to take the farmers in case of arrest.
Meanwhile, as soon as the farmers who reached the spot in small groups started protesting, the police present on the spot started taking the farmers into custody. On the orders of a DSP deployed on the spot, the police searched the farmers roaming in the streets and arrested them and took them to an unknown place in buses. The police also seized the mobile phones of the farmers.
The farmers have termed the police action as murder of democracy and oppression. It is also worth mentioning here that a few days ago, the villagers had informed the high officials of the district through a written application about the damage being caused to the village due to the laying of pipes and had demanded not to lay pipes in the village. The farmers argued that the government should consider laying pipes from the State Highway bypass instead of the road inside the village.
Despite this, when the district administration started the work of laying pipes, the farmers pitched tents to protest. When State General Secretary of Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta Sidhupur Kaka Singh Kotda and Treasurer Mukhtiar Singh Kubbe reached the spot to lead the farmers, the police arrested both the leaders and about 20 farmers and sent them to jail.
The Kisan Union had called upon the farmers to reach Bathinda today in protest against this, but the police took them into custody even before the farmers could start their protest. It is noteworthy that the government is spending about Rs 24 crore on laying sewer pipes to make proper arrangements for the drainage of dirty water standing in the streets and markets of Maud Mandi for a long time. The Mandi residents had protested against the sewerage department and the Punjab government several times regarding the dirty water of the sewer and there was a big protest among the Mandi residents regarding this.
This is a matter which was becoming a topic of discussion on a large scale in social and political circles. To overcome this protest, the district administration is bent on getting the work done as per the government rules, which the Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta Sidhupur is opposing. Last Tuesday, the police had uprooted the tents etc. of the protesters and started the work of laying pipes.