Paralympic Deepa Malik appeals to Jats to protest peacefully

Chandigarh, Feb. 19: With Haryana on the edge due to Jat agitation, Rio paralympic medallist Deepa Malik today appealed to the Jat community to put forth their demands in a peaceful manner so as not to sully their image. Recalling the unfortunate incidents which occurred last year as violence broke out during the Jat stir claiming 30 lives, Malik, a Jat herself said, “The thing you are fighting for, if it brings bad name to its very identity, then such a movement goes in a negative way.” “I feel in a democratic country everyone has the right to put forward their views. My only appeal to everybody in this movement is that look at our sportspersons and take things in a sportsman’s spirit. “We also fight for whatever we want in the play field, but with a feeling of brotherhood and with a feeling of sportsman spirit. Whatever you have to say, please adopt peaceful kind of way to do it,” Malik, who hails from Haryana, said here. Malik had won a silver medal in the women’s shot put event at the Paralympics and was felicitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a function held at Gurugram in November last year with a cash award of Rs 4 crore. Malik, who made the entire country proud with her rare feat, said, “when one talks of things in a peaceful and and non-violent manner, when one keeps point of view in a peaceful manner, it holds more weight.” “Being a Jat myself, its an appeal lets put forward everything in a peaceful manner so that we do not destroy the very significance and image we are standing for,” Malik told PTI here on the sidelines of a function. She said the positive side was that the stir this year so far has remained peaceful. She also said that nobody wants a repeat of the incidents of violence as witnessed during last year’s stir. During the height of the Jat agitation last year, many sports personalities had appealed to the community to adopt peaceful ways of protest. Cricketer Virendra Sehwag, former national chess champion Anuradha Beniwal, boxers Vijender Singh and Manoj Kumar, had made an appeal to the Jat protesters to end the stir. Notably, as the protesting Jats are observing “Balidan Divas” (day of sacrifice) today, Haryana is on high alert with maximum deployment of forces to prevent any untoward incident. The agitation seeking reservation in education and government jobs for the Jat community among other demands entered its 22nd day today. The All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangarsh Samiti (AIJASS), the body spearheading the fresh stir, had announced that they would decide the future course of action today.