The Hindu : Other States / Rajasthan News : One more farmer killed in police firing

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Tuesday, Dec 07, 2004

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One more farmer killed in police firing

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, DEC. 6. North-west Rajasthan is once again in flames after the death of one more farmer in alleged police firing near Kajuwala town of Bikaner district today. The victim, Hazoor Singh, was among a 1,000-strong contingent of farmers who were moving towards Kajuwala town on tractors to take part in a "maha padav''(massive siege) organised by the Kisan Mazdoor Vyapari Sangarsh Samiti there. The incident took place near 17 KYD village.

The authorities clamped an indefinite curfew in Kajuwala at 2 p.m. after two incidents of lathi-charge and firing--one in 17 KYD and the other in Kajuwala, near the mandi, where nearly 2,500 people had gathered. However, curfew could be enforced only by evening. While the State Secretary of the Communist Party of India, Vasudev, talking to The Hindu here said that the farmer was killed in police action, the authorities in the area said that the death occurred when the victim slipped down from a tanker and fell to the ground while the police was using the water cannons to disperse the mob. Both Prof.Vasudev and the CPI(M) MLA, Amra Ram, before leaving for Sriganganagar this evening alleged that the police opened fire and also tried to drive a truck through the crowd at 17 KYD causing injuries to dozens of people. The agitated mob had been reportedly staying put in the area till evening in an attempt to prevent the body from being taken away by the police.

With this four towns in the Bikaner division are under curfew. Three towns in Sriganganagar district -- Ghadsana, Rawala and Anupgarh -- were brought under curfew during this weekend. The death toll so far during the three-month-old agitation has now gone up to six. In the earlier round, in the last week of October, five persons were killed in police firing in Ghadsana and Rawala towns.

The day witnessed violent protests elsewhere in the Division in support of the demand for assured supply of irrigation water to farmers in the Phase I area of the Indira Gandhi Canal Project. In Rasinghnagar town of Sriganganagar district 200 farmers led by the Congress leader, Dula Ram, and the BJP's pradhan, Gurmeet Singh, courted arrest after a rally against invoking NSA against the leaders.

In Nohar town, dozens of students were injured when the police resorted to a lathi-charge to disperse an agitated group protesting against the recent hike in University fees and also in support of the farmers' cause.

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