Sanjha Morcha

Capt: Violence likely if canal constructed

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 23

State Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh today warned of a serious law and order problem in the “old Naxalite and hardliners’ belt of southern Punjab” if the SYL canal was completed without taking into account the ground realities. Pointing to the huge infrastructural cost involved in the construction, which would all come to naught if there was no water found subsequently to share with the neighbouring states, Amarinder urged the Supreme Court to take cognisance of the situation in terms of water availability and quantum in Punjab. Reacting to Abhay Chautala’s threat not to allow any Punjab leader to enter Haryana, Amarinder termed it a desperate bid to revive the INLD following today’s “flop show”.He welcomed the apex court’s directive on maintaining law and order.

SYL march ends in symbolic dig

20 INLD lawmakers held after border halt by Punjab cops, sent to Patiala jai

Naveen S Garewal & Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 23

The Indian National Lok Dal’s (INLD) attempt to dig the defunct Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal ended in the arrest of two party MPs, 18 MLAs and 73 workers as they tried to cross over into Punjab via the Shambhu barrier today.The “Jal Yudh Sammelan”, planned for over a month, ended without any violence with half-a-dozen INLD workers performing symbolic digging at the Punjab-Haryana border (instead of the canal), after the Punjab Police effectively sealed all routes to the canal.Following a Supreme Court directive to both states to maintain law and order, the security agencies in Haryana repeatedly announced on loudspeakers asking INLD workers not to breach the law and return.Unwilling to relent, the INLD workers broke three cordons, manned by a handful of personnel, of the Haryana Police. They were, however, stopped in their tracks by the Punjab Police before they could cross the barricading.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)To prevent any untoward incident, the Punjab Police told Haryana Leader of the Opposition Abhay Chautala, INLD chief Ashok Arora and other leaders to cooperate.The police told the INLD rank and file that unless they vacated the area within 10 minutes, they would be arrested as failure to leave the area would amount to violation of Section 144 (prohibiting assembly of five or more at one place) of the Criminal Procedure Code.All through it was apparent the Shiromani Akali Dal-led coalition government in Punjab had instructed the state police not to use force.The Punjab Police personnel offered bottled drinking water to the protesters even as they minded them not to get close to the sharp iron barricading.The INLD first held a rally at the Sabzi Mandi in Ambala and then marched towards the Shambhu barrier, 2 km east of the rally site. On the way, the Haryana Police had set up three lines of defence. Each was easily breached by the protesters, though warnings were issued by the civil administration of Ambala. The protesters stopped only when they reached Punjab’s first line of defence. Punjab Police asked the protesters to leave the area within 10 minutes or face arrest.Chautala, while addressing supporters in front of the barricading, asked them to turn away after symbolic digging with spades. He soon made a U-turn and requested the Punjab Police to let them march into the neighbouring territory peacefully. He asked his party workers to climb down from the barricading. While some workers turned around, Chautala persisted with his request for allowing senior party leaders to enter Punjab peacefully.The police then arrested 93 protesters — two party MPs, 18 MLAs and 73 workers — and made arrangements for early resumption of traffic on the Ludhiana-Ambala highway. Traffic remained suspended on the highway for around 12 hours. While traffic was diverted, many stranded commuters were seen walking across the Ghaggar bridge carrying their luggage.Those arrested were taken away in two private buses and produced in the court of Rajpura Sub-Divisional Magistrate, who remanded them in judicial custody till February 27. All those arrested have been sent to the Patiala Central Jail.The Punjab Police monitored the situation using modern equipment, including drones fitted with cameras. Aerial surveillance was conducted every few minutes. Besides, 10 companies of paramilitary forces and nearly 5,000 policemen were deployed.The dispute between Punjab and Haryana is currently pending adjudication in the Supreme Court, which has directed both states and the Government of India to ensure peace. Punjab has been maintaining it has no water to spare.Traffic hit for 12 hrsTraffic remained suspended on the Ludhiana-Ambala stretch of the national highway for around 12 hours. The movement of traffic was restored around 9 pm after remaining suspended since 9 am. While traffic was diverted to alternative routes, many commuters were seen walking across the Ghaggar bridge, carrying their luggage over to the other side 

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The personnel of the anti-riot police rehearse at the Shambu barrier on Thursday

Avoid confrontation

SYL requires a cooling down and rethink

The immediate challenge before the governments in Punjab and Haryana is to maintain law and order in view of the INLD’s call for a march to the Punjab border to dig the controversial SYL link canal. The Supreme Court has asserted that the canal cannot be delayed further. The INLD posturing is political, aimed at preserving its shrinking political base with the Chautala father-son duo in jail. The Punjab Police has wisely averted a possible showdown by not letting All-India Sikh Student Federation activists reach the site of the INLD protest. Though the Haryana government has allowed Chautala men to gather and stage their political drama, it cannot afford to let them cross the line for a peaceful democratic protest.The more difficult challenge is for Punjab to implement the stern Supreme Court directive: build the canal whether or not there is water to carry. There is almost a political consensus in the state as was reflected in the Assembly resolution and the Congress resignations that Punjab has not a drop of additional river water to spare for Haryana. Over the years all the ruling political parties have failed to put up a convincing case for the state either in court or outside. A politically acceptable and saleable solution was possible with the BJP in power at the Centre, in Haryana and in a coalition with the Akali Dal but electorally milking the water issue seemed more important than finding a lasting solution.  The past aggressive political posturing on the SYL would make the new government in Punjab less flexible and possibly pit it against the apex court. Already the Centre has taken a pro-Haryana stance in the Supreme Court and it is expected to be less cooperative if Punjab gets a non-Akali Dal government. Punjab will have to rebuild and reposition its case, based on sound legal facts rather than adopt the path of confrontation or cry victimhood. Courts or tribunals rule on the issue at hand on the basis of legal arguments backed by evidence. In the long run the larger issue for both states is how to cut waste and manage efficiently the existing water resources.

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