The Punjabi community as the Sikh community is largely known in Kolkata, on Wednesday condemned the violence during the Republic Day tractor rally in Delhi. Earlier, they had supported the farmers’ protest.
The Punjabi community as the Sikh community is largely known in Kolkata, on Wednesday condemned the violence during the Republic Day tractor rally in Delhi. Earlier, they had supported the farmers’ protest.
Olympian Gurbux Singh and social worker Satnam Singh Ahluwalia, along with other prominent members of the community, believed that the central government ought to have been “less adamant” and “more considerate” about the farmers’ demands to avoid Tuesday’s turn of events.
According to the captain of the gold medal-winning hockey team at the 1964 Summer Olympics, “some wrong people” had taken the “wrong decision”. “I am not blaming the police. But when open permission is given, certain people in the mob will take advantage and show their strength,” he said, adding that the farmers’ body — Samyukt Kisan Morcha — managed the “situation well”. “The situation was contained. Things could have been worse,” Singh said. Referring to actor Deep Sidhu, who defended hoisting the Nishan Sahib flag at Red Fort, Singh said, “He should be taken to task. It is not right to go to the Red Fort and hoist any other flag,” he said.
Last week, Ahluwalia, general secretary of the Gurdwara Behala, was at the Singhu border for ‘seva’ and to express solidarity. “While I condemn the violence, I have full respect for the farmers who are fighting for their rights.” Calling it a national issue, theatre personality Ramanjit Kaur said, capitalism will ensure that farmers lose their land. “The incident was unfortunate. But we must understand that this has just been done to derail the movement,” she said.
Designer Enna Ahluwalia pointed out that the Indian flag was way above the other two flags. “It is bizarre that the Centre created these laws without consulting farmers,” she said.
Manjit Singh Jetta, president of the Netaji Bhagat Singh United Forum, who had sent delegations to the Singhu border said, “It was a deliberate attempt to malign the movement. The real protesters controlled the situation.”
