M A I N   N E W S

Probe indicts SGPC secy
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, Sept 23 — In an unprecedented move a three-member inquiry committee today indicted Mr Gurbachan Singh Bachan, Secretary, SGPC, for making wrong payment of Rs 2 lakh in gross violation of rules and bylaws.

The inquiry committee comprising Mr Hardalbir Singh Shah, general secretary, Mr Jaswinder Singh, advocate, and Ms Kiranjot Kaur handed over the “sealed” 25-page inquiry report to Mr Harjit Singh, assistant secretary and personal assistant to SGPC chief, for sending it to Bibi Jagir Kaur immediately.

Dr Bachan who was Director, Youth Affairs, Punjab, was appointed secretary of the SGPC on December 2, 1999, on one year deputation. The inquiry committee recommended that his deputation should be cancelled and he be relieved immediately. Before his appointment as secretary, Dr Bachan was appointed Officer on Special Duty with SGPC chief on November 25, 1999. His deputation was to end on April 2, 2001. Interestingly, Dr Bachan had gone on deputation with the state government as Director, Youth Affairs, from Guru Nanak Dev University where he was also Director, Youth Services.

Dr Bachan will be the third secretary to be removed unceremoniously within two years. Mr Surjit Singh, who had served the SGPC with great dedication during the presidentship of Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, was removed few months after Bibi Jagir Kaur took over as SGPC chief. Mr Kulwant Singh, who had supported Bibi Jagir Kaur in a tug-of-war between Mr Parkash Singh Badal and Mr Tohra, was appointed with much fanfair as secretary, however, after few months he was removed and Dr Bachan took over as the new secretary.

However, the inquiry committee justified the action of Mr Balbir Singh Pannu, senior vice-president, who had locked the strongroom and cash books of the cashier on September 19 following allegations of “pilferage” of the amount of Rs 2 lakh. No action has been recommended against Mr Kashmir Singh Gandiwind, an SGPC member, cashier or accountant for receiving or making the payment on the orders of Dr Bachan.

Dr Bachan, however, said he would immediately resign if Mr Badal or Bibi Jagir Kaur would direct him to do so. He said he had ordered the payment as per rules only. He pointed out that Mr Pannu had raised a “baseless issue” with the sole objective of becoming president of the Shiromani Committee. The second reason for highlighting the “non-issue” was the Sunam byelection as some opponents of Mr Badal wanted to embarrass him at this crucial juncture. A similar type of issue was also raised during the Nawanshahr byelection.

Meanwhile, Prof Harbans Singh Balina, a close confidant of Bibi Jagir Kaur has been appointed as personal secretary (education). The appointment of Professor Balina was made yesterday but the orders were withdrawn today morning in order to make certain amendments in the letter. The SGPC sources, however, said Bibi Jagir Kaur had been looking for an opportunity to ‘get rid of’ Dr Bachan for the past few months. Though Dr Bachan had been claiming that she was like his sister and it was she who had persuaded him to serve in the SGPC yet according to reports they did not have “good relations.”

When asked if he would move the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission against the inquiry report, Dr Bachan said he would wait for the directions of Mr Badal and Bibi Jagir Kaur.

Mr Balbir Singh Pannu had sought the suspension of Mr Harjit Singh, personal assistant to SGPC chief, Dr Bachan, Mr Gandiwind and cashier. However, action has been taken only against Dr Bachan.

The inquiry members, however, said though they were not giving a ‘clean chit’ to Mr Gandiwind yet Dr Bachan was found to be the “main accused” in the entire episode.

Earlier, the inquiry committee had excluded Dr Bachan and Mr Khajan Singh, legal adviser to SGPC, on account of their being employees of the Shiromani Committee. The inquiry committee recorded the statements of Dr Bachan, Mr Gandiwind, cashier, accountant before finalising the report. Interestingly, only few days ago Dr Bachan had announced that only 5 per cent SGPC members were honest.

Girls bought for sham marriages
From Ravi S. Singh
Tribune News Service

TAORU (Gurgaon), Sept 23 — Girls from poor families from various parts of the country are bought for marriages in the Mewat areas of Haryana to be sold and resold after the nuptial knot. Middlemen and agents of dubious identities make brisk money by way of commission for acting as facilitators.

It is learnt that the trend which started a few years ago has assumed alarming proportions in a large number of villages in Mewat. In some cases children go along with mothers, depending on the kind of the deal struck.

The major portion of Mewat areas are in Gurgaon district with only one block, Hathin, falling in Faridabad district.The other major areas are the bordering districts of Rajasthan. Mewat is dominated by the Meo community.

Inquiries reveal that the practice has its roots in the custom of boys being discarded for marriage if they are not married at a young age, forcing their families to buy them young girls. There seems no popular resentment against such incidents. One reason is the sex ratio in the area. A study released by “SRIJAN”, a voluntary organisation working under the aegis of a prominent non-governmental organisation, Aga Khan Foundation, says the ratio of females against males is an indicator of the status and treatment of women in society.

The organisation’s finding is that Mewat has a low sex ratio, even by Haryana standards, which has the lowest sex ratio in India.

A visit to a couple of houses in Buraka village in Taoru confirmed that the women members are from places other than Haryana. There is scant respect for their plight which is worse than that of domestic cattle. Rather, residents seem to desire sadistic pleasure in trapping nubile and young girls and their poor parents and then subjecting the girls to unaccounted indignities shortly after the sham marriage.

Still worse, some mullahs are trying to link the practice with religious belief. Perhaps, on account of this the authorities often look the other way.

Some of the main places from where girls are being bought are West Bengal, Maharashtra and Orissa. On account of the language barrier a number of hapless women have no escape as they are unable to interact with the outer world and remain cocooned in Mewat. Some simply reconcile to fate.

It is common knowledge that rampant incongruities in behavioural pattern in the patriarchal society of Mewat take place on account of wide-ranging illiteracy among women. The first casualty is health and the fundamental right to lead a life of dignity and liberty.