Balwant Garg
Faridkot, October 1
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has written to the Subdivisional Magistrate (SDM) to remove the unauthorised structure set up within the width of the right of way (ROW) of the Amritsar-Bathinda national highway by protesters in Behbal Kalan village.
Demanding justice in the sacrilege and Behbal Kalan police firing incidents of October 2015, a dharna, under the Insaaf Morcha, is being staged by various Sikh groups for the past about 10 months on the national highway near Behbal Kalan village. The morcha members have put up a tent on the NH and a ‘bir’ of Guru Granth Sahib has also been placed at the site.
In the letter to the Jaito SDM, the NHAI wrote, “It has been observed that the protesters are constructing a permanent structure within the ROW of the highway land, which is strictly prohibited and illegal.”
The structure hampers the safety of the road users and no permanent construction is permitted on the NH land. Also, the protest by the villagers is unrelated to the NHAI. “So you are requested to take necessary administrative steps to stop the illegal construction of the structure on the NH land and for the removal of the already built structure so that the safety of the road users can be ensured,” NHAI wrote to the SDM.
The dharna on the NH near Behbal Kalan village, where the police had fired at protesters on October 14, 2015, killing two of them, is being staged since December 16, 2021. This joint protest of various Sikh groups is being led by Sukhraj Singh, the son of Krishan Bhagwan Singh, one of two persons killed in the police firing. Sadhu Singh, the father of Gurjit Singh, another victim, is also taking part in the ongoing protest.
While the Jaito SDM could not be contacted despite repeated attempts, Sukhraj said the NHAI’s letter was a part of the state and the Centre’s joint strategy to sabotage the peaceful protest. “We have not blocked the road and the traffic flow hasn’t been interrupted in the past 10 months,” he claimed.
STATE-LEVEL MEET ON OCTOBER 14
The Insaaf Morcha has also convened a state-level meeting on October 14 to make a strategy for mounting pressure on the state government in regard to its demand for justice in the sacrilege and police firing incidents