Unlike past, Phagwara stays calm

PHAGWARA: After the violent episode of April the place proper wing Hindu teams and Dalit activists had clashed resulting in pressure in the area for weeks, the town remained quiet in the first week of June this time. This was unlike the previous years as round this time of year the police was on their ft to avert violence in Phagwara as Sikh teams noticed the anniversary of Operation Bluestar.

On Thursday, Sikh teams organized a chhabeel (serving sweetened milk and water) in the memory of ‘martyrs’, including Jarnail Singh Bhinderanwale, to mark the day. Members of Dalit and Muslim communities had been also provide there. However, there was no insistence or show through Hindu teams to prepare a rival event on the road or in public like the previous years.

The Hindu teams organized a ‘havan’ in Hannuman Garhi temple in the memory of squaddies killed in the Army motion on the Golden Temple complex in June 1984.

Different factions of Shiv Sena were organizing the havan to observe the Operation Bluestar anniversary. For the past few years, some Hindu teams insisted to have a parallel serve as on the national freeway. Apprehending hassle, police had even taken out a flag march in the town in first week of June 2017. Police team of workers had been also deployed in heavy numbers and senior officers remained on ft all the way through June 6. In 2016 also, pressure was there in Phagwara. Following those demanding situations in the virtual world police needed to even take out a flag march.

Phagwara superintendent of police (SP) Parminder Singh Bhandal stated the location was completely non violent in the town. Dalit, Muslim and Sikh activists identified on Tuesday that pressure was no longer even palpable in the town this year and it reflected on who created hassle every year under the garb of nationalism and patriotism.