Farmers protest against SDM after being booked for taking stray bulls into his office in Chandigarh

CHANDIGARH: Barwala sub-divisional magistrate Prashan Atkan has invited the ire of farmers for getting an FIR lodged against them for forcible entry of stray cattle into his office recently. The farmers on January 2 started hunger strike in front of the SDM's office demanding cancellation of the FIR.
Around two dozen farmers of Hisar district were booked on December 29, 2014 for causing damage to the government property by taking bulls inside the SDM's office.Hisar deputy commissioner Chander Shekhar claimed that the bulls attacked some persons in the SDM office and damaged some vehicles and officials articles. "We can't accept such act because farmers may take the bulls into the office of the DC or chief minister tomorrow," Shekhar told TOI.
SDM Atkan did not respond to the text message and calls made on his mobile number. However, the farmers claimed that the bulls entered into the SDM's office on their own as officials had not shooed the bovine from a nearby place. The farmers are upset with the stray bulls and cows because the animals damage their crops. Farmers have been giving repeated memorandums to the officials for the past one month to tackle the issue.
On December 21, they had staged a protest in Barwala town. The local officials had assured them to find out a solution of the problem soon. When the farmers felt that administration was not serious about their problem, they staged a protest at Barwala along with around 50 stray bulls.
"The officials had advised us to put together the stray cattle at a place in the market committee near the SDM's office. But when we took the stray animals there, officials of market committee asked us to leave the venue immediately," said Master Molad Singh, a leader of the protesting farmers.
"We had no role into the entry of bulls in the SDM's office as we were just raising our voice," he added. He said around 20 farmers of Landhari village had also been booked in a similar matter when they had gone to handover the stray cattle to the municipal staff of Hisar.
However, the officials claimed that the cattle pound was meant only for stray cattle of urban areas not for those from villages. They also alleged that the farmers thrashed the staff when they were not allowed to send the stray animals in the cattle pound.
All India Kisan Sabha leader Dayanand Poonia said that the administration booked the farmers for minor damage to its property. "Against whom the farmers should lodge a complaint when stray animals damage their crops," he asked.
DC Shekhar admitted that stray cattle had emerged as a serious problem before the administration as well farmers. "We have proposed to put the stray animals in a cattle pound spread in 50 acres of land in Hisar," said the DC. "Cattle fairs are not being organized for the past 2-3 years so such animals are not being sold. Further, transportation of animals has also become a tough task because of gau sewaks," said an official.
KHAP panchayat today
Miffed over the registration of two FIRs, the farmers of Hisar area would organize a panchayat at Landhari village on Sunday. They are demanding that the government should make cattle pounds to keep stray bulls and cows. On the similar issue, the khaps would be organizing a panchayat at Dhanana village of Bhiwani district on Sunday.