It was a sad and horrible day in Punjab. On 3rd November, when Sikh-community was protesting against the anti-sikh violence of 1984 and against delayed, thus denied, justice for the victims of that violence, the so-called task force of SGPC, the body supposed to protect the interests of the Sikhs, had ordered its illegal killer gang to vacate the lands being cultivated by the tenant-peasants of village Khanna-Chamiara for last 60-70 years. Incensed by even the verbal protest of the peasants the killer gang opened unprovoked and indiscriminate firing on the peasants killing Sh. Kashmir Singh on the spot and seriously injured Sh. Balwinder Singh who succumbed to his injuries in the Guru Nanak hospital Amritsar. More over more than dozen peasants including some women, were mercilessly beaten by lathis and attacked with sharp-edge weapons and were admitted to various hospitals later on. The reckless and cruel goons mercilessly dragged and beat the old-aged persons and women-folk also. They also thrashed the cows and buffaloes and other domestic animals there. During this operation dispossession, a police party deployed there remained a mute spectator and it rather facilitated this attack on the peasants and their families.

As for as the land issue is concerned, there is 1100 acres of cultivable land spread over 7 villages. Almost 700 acres belong to this village Khanna-Chamiara, 148 acres to Dharmabad and 50 acres to five other villages Khanna-Chamiara’s land-chunk is the biggest of all and the entire village is a tenant-village. Even the houses of the tenants are built on the same tenanted land.

All the tenants both dalit and non-dalits are registered in the revenue-record of revenue department as tenants and covered by Punjab tenancy act. According to the provisions of this act, they can not be evicted at will as for as they pay the rent which they usually pay regularly. If the do not pay rent and become defaulters, only then legal proceedings can be initiated against them. But whatever the rent-rates are, the SGPC authorities does not issue receipts for the tenants. By such tricks, they tried to secure argument as they are not the tenants so that some legal proceedings can be initiated against their tenant status. The rent-rates are enhanced arbitrarily and peasants are unable to pay such high-rents. By such measures, they are subjected to burdensome and expensive court litigation which prove endless and unbearable. But the tenants have to undergo these hardships and litigations.

In almost all the cases, they have been able to prove their tenant-status in civil suits in civil courts but many cases framed and presented in courts of Deputy-Commissioners (D.C.) and Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) are decided against them due to easily operable political influence on these officers and offices.

These managers of this attack and office-bearers of SGPC claim that they got possession order of the land under the illegal possession of the village sarpanch. If so, they did not need assemble that armed band. As per reports, they also brought patwari and kanoongo to execute vacation and get possession, but seeing the real situation as contrary to the information given to them, the both patwari and kanoongo refused to oblige them. Both of them were insulted and beaten. They also have made complaints to the concerned police and revenue authorities.

Though the armed band came to take possession of land under the possession of Sarpanch, but all the tenants gathered and proceeded as one body and made protest against the goons. They rose as one class and as class-brethren and did not fear weapons and bullets just in front of them.

AIKMS leaders, both local and provincial, have issued condemning statements holding the SGPC officer bearers and their cronies responsible for the cold-blooded murder of two peasants and demanded the arrests of all the persons involved in that attack.

Both the killed peasants were members of Kirti Kisan Union since last two years and took part in some activities even in nearby villages.

The dead-bodies of both the brave peasants were consigned to fire on November 4, and condolence public meeting has been announced to be held on 12th November.

Meanwhile Mr. Hardev Singh Sandhu, All Indian President of AIKMS, Mr. Nirbhey Singh Dhudike president of K.K.U. and Mr. Tarsem Peter, president of Pendu Mazdoor Union, held a press-conference on 9 November at Jalandhar, and explained that armed persons of task force were summoned from various places of Punjab and how it can happen if SGPC president Mr. Avtar Singh Makkar, had not given his consent and permission. These AIKMS leader demanded that case should be registered against Mr. Makkar and others. The leaders have also demanded that fire-arms used by the killers be confiscated, police-proceedings be made public, Rs 10-lakhs each be given to the families of killed peasants. They warred the Punjab govt. that if these demands were not fulfilled will November 12th, the struggle for these demands would be intensified. On Nov. 10th, the mass deputations of AIKMS will meet DCs and send a memorandum to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal through DCs.

AIKMS leaders announced that SGPC is working under the control of Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) and SGPC claims to be protector of Sikh-people. But it is the killer gang organized by SGPC, which has murdered those two Sikh peasants. It is Akali Dal who claims to be the protector of Punjab-peasants, but it is under its rule that two peasants have been murdered in broad day light and no high-up responsible for this, has been brought to book so far. AIKMS leader announced to launch a wider agitation against the present Akali-BJP govt. and the responsible persons of SGPC.