Hoshiarpur/Ludhiana, Oct. 15 -- Streets and markets in Punjab wore a deserted look on Thursday as shops and private schools in several districts remained shut in view of a 'bandh' called over the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa.
Protesters also blocked several roads in response to the bandh call, prompting the authorities to divert traffic through alternative routes. Jhota's family had given the 'Punjab Bandh' call with support from the Congress, Akali Dal, BJP and Akali Dal Waris Punjab De, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and other farmer unions, and state government employee bodies. Known for raising his voice against drug abuse and illegal sale of addictive substances at chemist shops, Jhota was shot in broad daylight inside a medical store at a busy marketplace in Mansa on Tuesday. Ashwani Kumar, the store owner who opened fire on Jhota after he questioned him for selling addictive drugs to an elderly man, was taken into custody from Salasar in Rajasthan.
The incident, which took place while Jhota was hosting a Facebook Live, triggered a political slugfest in Punjab, which goes to polls early next year. In response to the bandh call, shops and markets remained shut at several places on Thursday, including Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Sangrur, Barnala, Moga, Patiala and Mansa. However, emergency services remained operational. Some toll plazas, including in Ludhiana and Patiala, did not charge any fee from the commuters in support of the bandh call. Many private schools in Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Moga and Mansa declared a holiday in view of the shutdown, which received backing from various farmer groups. In Amritsar, the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee staged a demonstration against the Aam Aadmi Party government. Led by Sarwan Singh Pandher, the protesters accused the Bhagwant Mann government of failing to check the drug menace, as they burnt an effigy of the chief minister at the Golden Gate. Pandher demanded that Mann and Punjab Police DGP Gaurav Yadav resign on moral grounds. In Hoshiarpur, the markets wore a deserted look while hospitals, chemist shops and other emergency services continued to function as part of essential services. Almost all the private schools remained closed, while the Rayat Bahra University was also shut for the day.
Members of the Akali Dal Waris Punjab De, along with various Dalit organisations, took out a protest march from Gurdwara Singh Sabha to the main marketplace in Hoshiarpur, led by Karnail Singh Lovely and Mandeep Singh, and Vikas Hans of the Valmiki Dharam Raksha Samiti, among others. Speaking to the media, Lovely said Jhota had been killed for raising his voice against drug abuse and attempting to save Punjab's youth from addiction. He also blamed the prevailing system and successive governments for failing to curb the drug menace, alleging that those who speak against drugs are being targeted. Stating that the movement against drugs won't be silenced by the death of one activist, Lovely questioned the AAP government's claims of having eliminated the drug menace and urged journalists to visit the villages to assess the extent of the problem. Reports of 'dharnas' and road blockades were also received from the Bijli Ghar Chowk in Tanda, the Hajipur crossing in Dasuya and the Civil Hospital Chowk in Mukerian.
Raminder Singh, president of the Punjab Roadways, PUNBUS and PRTC Contract Workers Union, said bus services on several routes had been affected by the road blockades. "Buses have not been stopped, but they halted wherever roads were blocked," he said, adding that services on the Jalandhar-Dasuya-Mukerian-Tanda and Chandigarh routes were affected. Heavy police deployment has been made across districts to prevent any untoward incident, officials said. In Mohali, roads were blocked near the Sohana Chowk and the Phase 7 roundabout, while a highway in Kharar was blocked by some protesters. In Amritsar, Police Commissioner Harmanbir Singh Gill said everything is peaceful, and the police are keeping a close watch on the situation. Shops and commercial establishments also remained shut in Jagraon, Khanna, Mulanpur Dakha and Raikot in Ludhiana district.
However, the bandh had only partial impact in Ludhiana city, as all the major markets in the old city, including Chaura Bazaar, Saban Bazaar, Gur Mandi, Sarafan Bazaar and Dal Bazaar, remained open. Some shops remained closed as a mark of protest in the Ghumar Mandi and Model Town markets. However, there was a complete shutdown in Phagwara, where all shops and educational institutions remained closed. Earlier, Jhota's father Bhim Singh, an ex-serviceman, urged everyone to support the bandh call. A joint action committee comprising various organisations and social activists formed after Jhota's murder has demanded the resignations of Chief Minister Mann and DGP Yadav and the dismissal of the Mansa SSP, DSP, SHO and the drug inspector. They also demand a CBI probe into the matter. On Wednesday, Chief Minister Mann vowed the strictest punishment for the accused even as opposition leaders claimed that law and order has completely collapsed amid a "jungle raj" in the state
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.