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Immolation in Patiala taking political tone

Staff Correspondent

Punjab State Human Rights Commission initiates inquiry into the incident

CHANDIGARH: The incident in Patiala, the hometown of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, where leader of a hawkers' organisation set himself ablaze in full public view earlier this week, is all set to become a major political issue, especially as the State prepares for the Assembly polls in about a year.

Taking suo motu cognisance of media reports, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) has initiated an inquiry into the incident. It has directed the State Government to depute an officer of the rank of Inspector-General of Police to probe the events and submit a report to the Commission within a month.

Fifty-year-old Gopal Krishan Kashyap, president of the Rajiv Gandhi Parantha Rehri Association, had set himself on fire under the rail over bridge near the bus stand on Tuesday. He succumbed to his injuries the next day and was subsequently cremated amid emotional scenes with many supporters raising slogans against the Administration.

His act was purportedly to register a protest against what he termed as high-handedness of certain individuals who had allegedly blocked the rehabilitation of at least two dozen "Parantha Rehri" owners uprooted about 14 months ago.

Mr. Kashyap's teenaged son Vishal, accompanied by his mother and sister, announced that one after the other the entire family would also indulge in self-immolation to carry the struggle of his father to its logical conclusion. He said that the sacrifice of his father would not go in vain.

Political observers here expect the incident to snowball into a major political issue as the Opposition parties aim for considerable capital. They point out that the incident has taken place in Patiala, which is represented by Capt. Amarinder Singh in the Assembly and by his wife, Preneet Kaur, in Lok Sabha. The deceased had claimed to be a staunch Congress worker though he attempted to contest against Capt. Singh in the last Assembly polls.

While all his representations directed to various levels of administration, from the local to the Chief Minister, the Prime Minister and the President, could not initiate any action, Mr. Kashyap's death has activated leaders of various political hues.

The Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, visited the family of Mr. Kashyap. Talking to reporters, he said that a magisterial probe had been ordered into the causes of the incident and assured that those guilty would be proceeded against as per the law of the land. However, he refused to initiate any action before the probe was over.

Capt Singh also announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs. 10 lakhs for the family and assured a government job for Mr. Kashyap's son. The president of the state unit of the Congress, Shamsher Singh Dullo, also announced Rs 1lakh from the party funds. Interestingly, the family refused to accept Rs. 1 lakh from the president of the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Leader of the Opposition, Parkash Singh Badal, who visited them on Thursday. Mr. Badal demanded immediate resignation of the Chief Minister and registration of cases against the Chief Minister's Media Adviser, B.I.S. Chahal, and the Mayor of Patiala, Vishnu Sharma. He rejected the magisterial inquiry ordered by the Deputy Commissioner.

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