The incidents of atrocities on the labourers who are occupying the shamlat and lal lakeer land have been increasing by the day in the villages of Doaba and surroundings areas. With the real estate prices in rural areas on the upswing, the shamlat land on which these labourerrs have set up jhuggies and cowsheds etc. is inviting the ire of the well-off who want to grab such land. Shamlat and red line land do not belong to any individual but various government agencies can use these as per their need. Otherwise, such land remain unoccupied. But in most of the rural areas, the landles people people have set up their dwellings of such lands.

Ten such cases of atrocities on the dalits have been reported from Jalandhar and surrounding areas during the last four to six months. They have sought the help of the Pendu Madoor Union which is planning to organise a statewide protest on the issue.

In Jalandhar district, Parjiyan, Maheru, Adramann, Kangniwal, Bhikhanagal, Puniya, Todarwal, Sangowal, Talwan and Saiflabad are the villages where such incidents have occurred in the recent past. In these villages, the landless were removed from the shamlat land on more than one occasion. Reports in this regard have also appeared in the media.

Tarsem Peter, the general secretary of Pendu Mazdoor Union, explained that rising real estate prices in the rural areas was attracting the attention of the village elites. Tarsem Peter alleged that the police in fact was hand-in glove with the unscrupulous elements who wanted to grab the land. He said that the administration should take action under Scheduled Castes & Schedules Tribes Atrocities Act, 1989.

According to a report, in Talwan village, the landlords allegedly even tried to armtwist the labourers who refused to go away by denying them any work in the fields owned by them. One of the complaint registered with the police had alleged that graveyard used by dalits in Sanghowal village had been vandalised after the appreciation of value of the land in the area.