JALANDHAR, Punjab—Cornered by farmers in the agrarian state of Punjab over farm laws enacted by its government in the centre, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is playing Dalit card to woo scheduled casts which have a considerable population in the state, especially in the Doaba region.
One can easily understand the intention of the saffron party behind launching a sort of drive to express solidarity with the concerns of Dalit community in the times when the entire state is fighting against the farm laws which have potential to badly affect the farmers in particular and entire Punjab in general, as per the economists.
It has chosen its topmost Dalit face in the state and former Union Minister of State Vijay Sampla to lead this sudden drive favouring the Dalit community.
On October 15, Sample visited a Dalit youth’s house in Jalalabad sub-division in Fazilka district, who was allegedly forced to drink urine. He met the family members of an ex-serviceman, whose father was allegedly murdered, in the village Nagoke village in Tarn Taran district on October 18. The family was also Dalit.
The Punjab unit of the BJP under the leadership of state president Ashwani Sharma, Sampla planned to take out a ‘Dalit Insaf Yatra’ from Jalandhar to the residence of Punjab Chief Minister at Chandigarh in protest against the alleged atrocities on the scheduled caste community and post-matric SC scholarship scam in the state.
On all the occasions, the BJP faced protests from the farmers. The attempt of taking out the ‘Dalit Insaf Yatra’ was foiled by the Police by detaining the BJP leaders at Jalandhar.
In a statement issued here, leaders of 31 farmer organizations struggling against the laws said, “The BJP is attempting to torpedo the struggle against the laws and creating conflict by playing the Dalit card. The farmer organizations won’t let the saffron party succeed in its communal and cast-oriented tactic”.
The farmer leaders Darshanpal Singh, Jagmohan Singh Patiala and Satnam Singh Sahni said, “Scam in SC students scholarship scheme was unearthed after a long time and we also demand the scam be probed and the perpetrators be punished. Now, when the BJP leaders are facing protests across the state, the BJP has initiated to organize activities on the pretext of seeking justice in this case. It is a deep-rooted conspiracy to provoke the agitating farmers. The march planned by Sampla gives its indication.”
“However, the farmer organizations are fully conscious of the conspiracy hatched by the BJP to create tension in the state. They will give its befitting reply. Dalit is also involved in the anti-centre stir over the farm laws. We will stand with the dalit in their struggles too”, they said.
They appealed to the labour and dalit organizations, especially Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to come to fore defeat the purpose of the BJP to create rift among the people of Punjab and caution the dalit community about it. They said unity between farmers and labourers will lead to progress of Punjab.
