Punjab shutdown against riots hits normal life

Chandigarh/Amritsar, Nov 3 : Trains were stopped, road traffic was hit while schools and colleges were closed in many Punjab towns as radical groups called for a shutdown Tuesday to protest the denial of justice to families of the thousands killed in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

The strike, however, passed off peacefully, police officers said in Chandigarh.

The strike call was given by the Dal Khalsa and was supported by the Khalsa Action Committee (KAC), Damdami Taksal, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (DSGPC), All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) and Shiromani Panthic Council.

"We have not got justice for Sikhs in the last 25 years. We want the deaf government in the centre to listen to our demands. We will ask the UN to intervene and seek justice for Sikhs," Dal Khalsa leader Kanwarpal Singh said.

The KAC and AISSF later claimed that the strike was "complete" in Punjab and thanked people for it.

Dal Khalsa chief Harcharan Singh Dhami, AISSF President Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad and KAC chief Mohkam Singh said in a joint statement: "The strike has been supported by everyone in Punjab. People believe that 1984 was a Sikh genocide and Punjab people are together fighting against it."

Dal Khalsa activists stopped trains at the Amritsar railway station Tuesday morning.

The Amritsar-New Delhi Shatabdi Express, Sachkhand Express, Dadar Express, Superfast Express and other trains were stopped. Scores of Dal Khalsa members squatted on the rail tracks.

The Shatabdi Express was later cancelled by railway authorities, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded. Some other trains were allowed to leave by railway authorities in the afternoon after the protestors melted away.

Shops in some areas of major cities, petrol pumps and a few banks also remained closed in the first half of the day. Schools in various cities were shut by the authorities. Bus services and other modes of public transport were also affected.

Police in Amritsar stopped about 50 Sikh youths on motorcycles brandishing kirpans (swords). They were intercepted near the Hall Gate and their kirpans were confiscated.

There was a minor clash between the two sides but the youths were allowed to leave.

Road and railway traffic was also affected near Rajpura town, 40 km from Chandigarh. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal urged the protestors to be peaceful.

The strike had partial effect in the industrial and commercial city of Ludhiana. Protesters blocked one over-bridge in the heart of the city and shops remained closed in some areas.

Shops and other establishments were shut in parts of Moga, Sangrur and some other towns.

The Dal Khalsa criticised the the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), the mini parliament of Sikhs, for keeping its offices open.

India's prime minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh guards Oct 31, 1984. This led to widespread riots against Sikhs, leaving thousands dead and homeless.

--IANS