PHAGWARA: Several activists belonging to various Scheduled Caste organisations assembled at Ambedkar Park in Hargobind Nagar here on Monday to press for the renaming of Gol Chowk as “Samvidhan Chowk” in honour of Dr B.R. Ambedkar. The gathering, which included members of Guru Ravidas Tiger Force, Yuva Vikas Morcha, Ambedkar Sena Moolnivasi and Bhagwan Valmiki Action Committee, later took out a peaceful protest march to the Town Hall and submitted a memorandum to Phagwara Mayor Rampal Uppal.
Addressing the media, Dalit leaders alleged that certain Shiv Sena leaders, purportedly backed by the BJP and RSS, were attempting to politicise and inflame the issue. Referring to the 2018 incident in which a Dalit youth, Bobby, was killed during violent clashes, they cautioned against any attempts to disturb communal harmony. The speakers also criticised the Mayor for reportedly accepting a memorandum from other groups regarding the renaming of Gol Chowk.
In their memorandum, the organisations reiterated that the chowk should be renamed “Samvidhan Chowk, ” while clarifying that they had no objection to the installation of a statue of Shaheed Bhagat Singh on the Jalandhar side of the intersection. Prominent leaders present included Yash Barna, Chairman of Guru Ravidas Tiger Force (Phagwara); Anu Sahota, President of Yuva Vikas Morcha; Ashivini Sahota, Vice President of the Morcha; Balwinder Bodh, Doaba Incharge of Ambedkar Sena Moolnivasi; and Dharamvir Sethi, President of the Bhagwan Valmiki Action Committee (Phagwara).