The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Dalit’s death chance for all to settle scores
From Ruchika Mohindra
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Oct 29 — Everyone seems to be cashing on the death of a local youth. The youth died here on October 24, allegedly because of torture in the police custody.

Raju, a 32-year-old Dalit youth, and 13 others was picked up by the CIA staff for questioning on October 13. They had earlier been arrested for gambling and later let off on bail. He was rearrested after allegations that the police had not shown the actual amount seized from the youth after a raid on Narian Mohalla on October 11.

Allegedly, the youth was suffering from some renal ailment and the “torture” by the CIA staff worsened his condition. He suffered a kidney failure and died in Dayanand Medical College and Hospital here on October 24.

A police party had raided a gambling den in Narian Mohalla on October 11 and caught 22 persons, but cases had been registered only against 17 of them. Allegedly, the police had seized Rs 1.23 lakh from them, but had declared only Rs 23,000 out of it when a case had been registered under various Sections of the Gambling Act.

After the allegations, the police ordered the CIA staff to conduct a high-level inquiry into the incident. Instead of questioning the police officials who had registered the case, the police rearrested 16 persons for questioning on October 13.

The policemen who had conducted the raid were asked to produce all 17 accused at the CIA office for questioning. However, the policemen allegedly produced only 14 of them. They claimed that the others, including the person on whose premises the raid was conducted, had fled the city.

Sources said the person who had fled were the actual gamblers and all those who were rearrested were small players. The police allegedly could not find out much from them. They were let off on the night of October 14. Members of the Valmiki community alleged that three of their members had been singled out by the police and tortured. Two of them — Raju, who died later, and Ramesh Kumar alias Minto — were reportedly receiving treatment in private clinics. Ramesh is still undergoing treatment in Christian Medical College here. He also has a renal problem. After Raju’s death, he also claimed that the police had tortured him in custody.

After Raju’s death, hundreds of members of his community had gathered outside the hospital for a mass mourning. They had raised slogans against the police and leaders of the community had sought action against the “erring” policemen. Later, Raju’s body was cremated without a post-mortem examination.

It was also alleged that Raju’s family, leaders of the community and some policemen had found this an ideal opportunity to settle scores with their colleagues and juniors.

Sources in the community and the Police Department say that the Raju’s family and the police have struck a deal between them for Rs 8 lakh and leaders of the community have been the mediators. They say, while the family of the deceased has already been paid about Rs 2 lakh, the remaining sum will be paid in the form of fixed deposits in the names of Raju’s children — Akash and Rohit. They say that this will be done by November 5 — day of the kriya ceremony.

It is also alleged that some of the leaders of the community are also expecting political gains because of it. They are likely to get funds for the community from the family of the deceased. Even in the case of Ramesh Kumar, a group against the one that supports Raju’s family is trying to make hay while the sun shines.

After the case of Ramesh Kumar was highlighted in the Press, a police official who was allegedly afraid of being questioned by the CIA staff, had reportedly instigated Ramesh’s supporters to move court and give statement against officials of the CIA staff.

It is also learnt that another police official is openly supporting Raju’s family members and has asked them to stick to their demand of Rs 8 lakh. Allegedly, he is doing this to settle scores with some of the officials of the CIA staff.

PU Syndicate takes up cases of city colleges
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Oct 29 — At a meeting of the Panjab University Syndicate that was held yesterday, cases of four women’s colleges of the city — Khalsa College for Women, Master Tara Singh College, Guru Nanak College for Women and Guru Nanak Girls College — were taken up.

One of the cases was that of Ms Parvati Sharma, a lecturer of political science in Khalsa College for Women. She is reportedly getting a basic pay of Rs 2,200, even though she has been a lecturer for quite some time and is now on the verge of retirement. Cases of 11 other lecturers, who are not getting their due grades, were also taken up. Members of the Syndicate decided that the college management should first put all members of their staff on regular posts before appointing new staff.

The second case was that of Master Tara Singh College. Its Principal, Ms Kuldeep Kaur, has been given extension till the age of 62. The extension is according to the UGC notifications, but the Punjab Government has not approved it yet. This has caused resentment among the staff of the college, especially some senior lecturers who will retire by the end of this year. These senior lecturers want that they, too, should get extension like their Principal.

Members of the Syndicate said there should be no partiality in the implementation of any rule. Prof K.B.S. Sodhi, President of the Punjab and Chandigarh Colleges Teachers’ Union, also said there should be uniformity in rules for the Principal and the staff. He said principals of some other colleges should also be given extension like in this case.

The third case was that of Guru Nanak College for Women on Gujarkhan Campus in Model Town. The college management is said to have arbitrarily decided not to pay the salaries of the teachers for 26 days of 1998 when college teachers had gone on a nationwide strike. Members of the Syndicate said the college management should withdraw its decision because the Centre had already sent 80 per cent of the grant to the Punjab Government for paying the salary for that period.

Another case was that of Guru Nanak Girls College of Model Town. The college staff has reportedly not received regular salary for the past five months because of the ongoing tussle between the two managements. Members of the Syndicate said the staff should not suffer because of this tussle and should get its regular salary and the PF records should be regularly maintained.

Mother, child burnt to death for dowry
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Oct 29 — A woman and her eight-month-old baby are alleged to have been burnt to death by the woman's husband and members of his family for bringing insufficient dowry at the time of marriage.

According to the FIR registered at Salem Tabri police station under Section 304-A of the IPC, the father of the woman, Shama, has accused his son-in-law and the latter's family of harassing his daughter for bringing insufficient dowry.

The complainant, Mr Vipin Bedi, a resident of Netaji Jaspal Nagar, has said that his daughter had been married to Rajiv Sehgal of Amritsar for the past one year and a half years. He has accused Rajiv, his father Dharam Chand, mother Sudesh Kumari and brother-in-law Deepak Kumar of burning to death his daughter and her eight-month-old child.

2.5-cr water supply scheme for 20 colonies
under way
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Oct 29 — The city Mayor, Mr Apinder Singh Grewal, said today that the civic body was committed to make the city a cleaner and better place to live in, and expansion of basic amenities in the industrial capital of the state was being taken up to cover more and more localities.

Addressing a function after laying the foundation stone of a Rs 2.5-crore water supply project for 20 colonies at Noorwala Road here, the Mayor announced that 49 km running water pipes would be laid in these colonies and a sewerage project for the area was also being finalised.

The Akali Dal legislator, Mr Hira Singh Gabria, who was the chief guest, said that he would take up the other grievances of the residents at an appropriate level. The councillor of Ward 6, Mr Ranjit Singh Dhillon, informed that the project would cover the localities of Guru Gobind Nagar, Sartaj Nagar, Gurpreet Nagar, Hira Nagar, Lajpat Nagar, Sant Singh Cheema Nagar, New Basant Vihar, Preet Vihar, Basant Vihar Dairy Complex, Panchsheel Colony, Grewal Colony, Vasant Vihar, Basant Vihar Extension, Baba Sain Bhagat Colony, Anand Puri, New Anand Puri, New Anand Puri Part II, New Deep Nagar and Jain Colony.

Besides, officials of the Municipal Corporation and the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board, the other present on the occasion included Mr Labh Singh, sarpanch, Kakowal, Mr Baldev Singh, sarpanch, Noorwal, Mr Avtar Singh, sarpanch, Dashmesh Colony, Mr Mukhtiar Singh Kalra, President, Basant Vihar, and Mr Darshan Kapoor, Secretary General, New Basant Vihar. Students of the G.S. Public School presented a cultural programme at the function.

PSEB told to refund bill amount
Tribune News Service.

LUDHIANA, Oct 29 — The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) to refund an ‘illegal’ bill amount of Rs 7049 along with interest at the rate of 12 per cent per annum charged from a consumer Ramesh Kumar, a resident of Sham Nagar area in the city.

The forum also ordered the PSEB to hold an inquiry into the wrong charging of the bill and said the amount may be recovered from the erring official who ordered the wrongful recovery from the complainant.

According to a copy of the orders received here today the Punjab Khapatkar Sangh on behalf of the complainant had pleaded for refund of two bill amounts through their representative, Mr S.S, Sarna .They complained that the consumer received two bills of Rs 6191 and Rs 8562 on September 2, 1997 and November 3, 1999 respectively.

The complainant deposited the bills, but kept on approaching the PSEB about the wrong recovery. But he was not given a satisfactory answer. After much persuasion he was told that the meter was running slow during the period from December 1995 to October 1997 and thus the amount was recovered. The complainant contested the claim of the PSEB before the forum.

The PSEB in its reply opposed the refund of the bill amount of Rs 5138 as more than two years had passed since the payment. It then contended that the complaints electricity meter was running slow and the audit party over-hauled the amount after fresh calculation and the complainant was handed over the said bill. However, a second audit party again over hauled the amount and more than Rs 7,000 were found recoverable from the complainant.

After listening to both the parties and verifying the documentary evidence the forum found that the complainant was not entitled for any relief regarding the first bill amount as it was correctly charged.However it objected to the second bill which was for the same period.

The forum did not agree to the act of the PSEB ordering second recovery on average consumption basis. It said when the average of the previous six months was there then it is not understandable as to how the audit party ordered the recovery on the basis of subsequent consumption.It concluded that the sundry charges of Rs 7049 included in the second bill were illegal and the complainant deserved to be compensated for the inconvenience suffered by him.

Firms booked for fraud
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Oct 29 — The police has registered cases against 10 local firms on for fraud and violation of the Trademark and Merchandise Act of 1958. All these firms were allegedly stocking and selling duplicate brands of mattresses with the label Kurl-On on these.

The police has registered a case under Section 420 of the IPC and Sections 78 and 79 of the Trademark and Merchandise Act. The company that owns the brand Kurl-On had approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court with a writ petition, demanding action against these firms.

The High Court had ordered an inquiry into the allegations. Later, an inquiry was conducted by the SP City I, Mr G.S. Sandhu, and a report in this regard was submitted to the DA Legal to seek his opinion. The police registered a case only yesterday. The persons against whom it has been registered are Vishal of Vishal Furniture, R.P. Singh of Arshi Furniture, Ashwani Arora of Arora Sales Corporation, Surjit Singh of S.K. Mechanical Works, Lalit Nayyar of Novalore and Jagtaar Singh of Avi Furniture, besides owners of Diamond Furniture, Decorators, Bhagwati Sales Corporation and Prem Furnitures.

A fitting tribute to Sahir
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Oct 29 — It was a tribute to one of the greatest poets of the country who was born and brought up here. It was warmly acknowledged and critically appreciated by the select, but keen crowd that had gathered in the auditorium of Panjab University Extension Library yesterday.

The seventh All-India Sahir Memorial Mushaira organised by the Kala Smriti was a grand success. The organisers had invited good poets for the symposium. Rahi Shahabi was at his usual best with his commanding voice and rebellious poetry. Upcoming poetesses like Sunita Raina also made a good impression.

Rahi’s ghazal addressed to the powers, Humein Jawab Chahiye, Sitamgaro Jawab Do, was received with a big applause. Rahi also vented his anger at Pakistan for responding to the extended hand of friendship with assault in Kargil. The composition Bajaye Dosti Ke Woh Ho Gaye Hum Par Hamlawar was hard-hitting.

Sunita Raina, a promising young poetess of Kashmir, reflected in her poetry, the pain and tragedy in her homeland. Her poetry was nostalgic as well. She tried to recreate Kashmir in her imagination with the poem Libas Baraf Ka Pehna Hua Tha Mausam Ne, Jala Gayay Hein Chinaroon Kay Sard Sayay Mujhe.

Arifa Shabnam showed that being visually challenged had not impaired her talent. Heena Taimuri was equally brilliant. Arifa’s melodious voice added to her poetry and reflected her pain as well. Mein Nay Chand Sitare Nahin Dekhe, Mein Nay Subah Kay Ujale Nahin Dekhe and Nazaa Log Karte Hein, Nazara Hum Nahin Karte, Ki Dharpan Dekh Kar Hum Zulfein Sanwara Nahin Karte were her brilliant compositions.

The audience kept asking for repeat of Aap Ko Mein Nay Nighahon Mein Basa Rakha Hai, Aaina Chhodye Aianey Mein Kya Rakha Hai by Heena Taimuri.

Suhail Lakhnavi, Aziz Parihiar, Nazar Itvi, Bekul Utsahi, Sagar Azmi, Padamashri Bekul Utsahi, Nazar Barabankvi, Ved Deewana, Sardar Panchchi, Nawaz Deobnadi, Khursheed Afsar and Surjit Pattar gave a memorable performance. Most of them did not recite their poems, but what the audience wanted them to recite.

Sagar Azmi made the audience laugh with couplets like Us Se Milti Julti Mein Awaz Kanhan Se Lawoon, Taj Mahal Ban Jayay Magar Mumtaz Kahan Se Lawoon. Apne Dil Ki Sari Batein Keh To Doon Sagar Lekin, Dil Ka Bharam Rakhnay Kay Liye Humraz Kahan Say Lawoon.

Shiv Batalvi nite organised
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Oct 29 — Shiv Batalvi Nite, a cultural bonanza of melody and music in memory of Melody Queen Jagmohan Kaur, was organised at Aab-e-Hayat, Ferozpore road, last evening. About 10 well-known Punjabi singers presented different musical numbers of Shiv Kumar Batalvi. The show lasted till the wee hours of the morning.

The programme started with Batalvi’s ghazal jad vi tera deedar hove, which was appreciated by the audience. The main attraction of the evening, Jasbir Jass,i sung Batalvi’s famous ghazal, bhatti valiye chambe diye daliye held the audience spellbound. Meenu Atwal, noted Hindi and Punjabi movie singer presented the song, char dina da mela o rabba lambi judai. Sucheta Bala presented Jagmohan Kaur’s song, ghund wich nahin lukde. The other artists included Ratnika Tiwari, Surinder Shinda, Sehgal Patialvi, Asha Soni, Amrita Deepak, Binni Sehgal and Sardul Sikandar.

Mr Sarabjit Singh, Director General Police, Punjab, presided over the function and Mrs Harmeet Sarabjit Singh gave away the awards of honour to the distinguished artistes.

Dil le gayee kudi Gujarat di...literally
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Oct 29 — Unlike most artists of repute, Jasbir Jassi is a God-fearing and down-to-earth young man, who has slogged hard for stardom. “I believe firmly that God has always been kind to me and it is He who leads me to success”, he remarked while talking to TNS. Jassi was here to perform at the Shiv Kumar Batalvi night organised by renowned Punjabi singer K. Deep.

It was way back in 1989 at a national integration camp for youth from border areas that Jassi met his Gujarati kudi. Jassi belongs to a border village, Dhalia, in Gurdaspur district in Punjab. The girl was from Bhuj in the Kutch area of Gujarat. The two fell in love, which was however, unconsummated. But she remained an obsession with Jassi even after she got married to some one else. However, Jassi traced her in 1998.

It was in the same year, on way to Gwalior with Sham Bhuteja of Rohtak, when Jassi was feeling upset and depressed during the journey, and in a fit of emotion told Bhuteja, “dil le gayee kudi Gujarat di”. The bard in Bhuteja hit the idea of composing the song after this line, which ultimately led Jassi to stardom.

Jassi is a strong votary of Punjabi pop music. He believes that by virtue of Punjabi pop, other aspects of Punjabi culture, particularly those related to music got popularised. He pointed out that Punjabi pop songs were quite popular across the country. Even non-Hindi speaking people could be seen humming Punjabi pop numbers.

But, he remarked, “there are so many other aspects of our rich culture which also need to be explored and expanded”, he said.

COMMUNITY

Rinwa visits blast victims
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Oct 29 — The chief of the Punjab unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mr Brij Lal Rinwa, and some Punjab ministers of the party visited victims of the Divali-night train bomb blast near Raman Mandi. The victims are convalescing in Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) here. Mr Rinwa met the victims and talked to their family members.

The BJP chief and the others also talked to the hospital management and doctors attending to the victims. The hospital management of DMCH accepted the request of the BJP to charge only 50 per cent of the hospital fees from the victims. Mr Rinwa assured the family members of the victims that the rest of the hospital expenses would be met by the district administration and the District Red Cross Society.

Mr Rinwa said peace and communal harmony would be maintained in the state at all costs and strong action would be taken against disruptive forces.

The others who were with him included the Punjab Minister for Local Bodies, Mr Balramji Dass Tandon, the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, Mr Madan Mohan Mittal, the Minister for Medical Education, Mr Manoranjan Kalia, A Member of the Rajya Sabha, Lala Lajpat Rai, the state Vice-President of the party, Mr Balbir Chand Kapila, the state General Secretary of the party, Mr Anil Sareen, district president of the party Mr Harbans Lal Sethi and the district President of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, Mr Kamal Chatley.

Relief in road tax sought
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Oct 29 — Transporters in the state have demanded slashing of road tax in order to provide relief to the transport industry, which has been hit hard by the hike in diesel prices.

According to a press release a deputation of transporter led by Mr Fateh Singh Libra, Managing Director of Libra Transports, met the chief minister and submitted a memorandum seeking the slashing of road tax by 44 per cent.

The deputation included Mr Gurcharan Singh of Preet Bus Service; Surjeet Singh of New Satluj Company; Amarjeet Singh of New Fatehgarh Transport; Ajit Singh Khatra of Sirhind Khanna Transport; Yadvinder Singh, Charanjit Singh, Pritpal Singh Jalal representing — Green Bus Service; New Deep Bus Service Gidderbaha; Hargobind Bus, Jaito; Ind Motors Barnala; Green Bus, Faridkot and Jalal Bus, Bathinda.

The release said the Finance Minister, Capt Kanwaljeet Singh and the transport minister were also present at the meeting. The chief minister assured the transporters that their demands would be considered after he returned from a tour abroad.

The transporters also demanded that the hike in diesel prices should be withdrawn as it had severely hit the transport industry which was already facing a deep slump.

Janata Dal (S) to launch agitation
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Oct 29 — The Janata Dal (S) has decided to launch a nationwide agitation against theanti- farmer and anti-people policies of the NDA government, which would commence with a National Farmers Convention at Delhi on November 19.

An emergency meeting of the core committee of the party, held here last evening under the presidentship of Mr Harish Khanna, state president, decided to actively participate in the convention, which would focus on the plight of farmers, common people and trade and industry in the country in the wake of government policies, framed under the influence of the World Bank and the IMF.

Giving details, Mr Khanna said the members expressed serious concern over the stand of the government to fully adopt the WTO regime, thereby exposing the Indian market to multinationals and international market players. Already, 714 items had been opened for imports without quantity restrictions and another 715 items would be further thrown open by March next year. The Janata Dal (S), observed Mr Khanna, was of the firm opinion that these decisions would adversely affect agriculture, dairy farming and the small scale industrial sector.

The meeting also flayed the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) and BJP coalition government in Punjab for persistent exploitation of farmers. Despite claims to the contrary, procurement of paddy in Punjab’s mandis was being done at a snail’s pace and there was no end to the woes of the farmers. The party apprehended that the relief announced by the union government would not reach those, who had suffered on account of distress sale of paddy.

According to Mr Khanna, the party would convene farmers’ conventions all over Punjab to expose the policies of the state government. In addition to national level leaders of the party, including Mr. V.P. Singh, Mr H.D. Deve Gowda, Mr Inder Kumar Gujral and Mr Chander Shekhar, the Bhartiya Kisan Union, other farmers bodies and constituents of the Sanjha morcha would be invited to participate in the conventions to be held during next month.

Prominent among those who attended the meeting were Mr Balwant Singh Khera, Mr Subhash Beri, Prof Darshan Singh, Mrs Raj Rani, Dr Tilak Raj, Mr Hukam Chand Sonkar, Mr Sham Singh Lalru, Mr Rajinder Datta, Mr Jagdish Rai Monga and Mr Raj Kumar Nidar.

CRIME

Seven held for gambling
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Oct 29 — The police has booked seven persons under various sections of the Gambling Act in three separate incidents and seized Rs 2,145 from their possession.

Rajinder Kumar, Vinod and Bandi were arrested by the Haibowal police and Rs 750 was seized from them.

In another case in the same locality, the police seized Rs 525 from Ganesh Kalyan, Sunil and Rajinder Kumar, while they were gambling at a public place. In both cases, the police has booked the accused under Sections 13, 3 and 67 of the Gambling Act.

In yet another case, the anti-goonda staff led by SI Gurpreet Singh raided a place in the Basti Jodhewal area and arrested Naresh Kumar for putting up a number gambling games wherein he would ask people to bet on a particular number and give returns in the ratio of 1:70 to the winner.

A case under Sections 13, 3 and 67-A of the Gambling Act has been registered at the Basti Jodhewal police station.

Liquor seized
The police has seized 15 bottles of illicit liquor from Sukhdev Singh from a locality falling under the area of police station Division No 2. A case under Sections 61, 1 and 14 of the Excise Act has been registered.

BUSINESS

ROADSIDE ENTREPRENEURS
Fruit juice on sale!
By Asha ahuja

LUDHIANA, Oct 29 — Fruits are one of the best things given to man by nature.Varied fruits with lovely colour, natural flavour and full of juice are widely taken by people all over the world. Fruit juices are nourishing. Many people have made it their business to provide fruit juice to the public on road side on their rehris.

One has heard of ''sale'' of clothes and household goods, but Babu Ram, a fruit juice seller, is putting fruit juice on sale. Rather unusual. He offers two glasses of mixed fruit juice for Rs 5 only. Needless to say he has a thumping sale. He makes profit through sheer volume of sale. Other juice sellers find it hard to compete with him.

Lachman plies his trade on a rehri on the Ferozepore road. A young boy of about 20 years Lachman has the capacity to work from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. To give him protection from the hot streaming sun, he has a filthy tattered umbrella over his head. One goes close to talk to him and finds six inches of rubbish comprising fruit peels and mud in front of his rehri. The rehri is covered by red raxine. In one corner his juice machine is fitted and it is covered with a red cloth. He has a big sieve and a saucepan to strain the juice. This again is covered by a red cloth to ward off flies. In another corner of the rehri are a number of pine apples and mausamis piled up. In the centre of the rehri is an old ice box of thermocol in which crushed ice of dubious origin is kept. One bottle containing masala completes the requirements of his business.

"How much do you sell a glass of juice for?"

Picking his nose, he replies, "I sell pineapple and mausami juice at Rs 10 a glass." While he is talking, one notices his dirty nails and a dirtier shirt. With all the filth around him, and his personal hygiene in a shocking state, one wonders how people drink juice from his rehri.

He is honest enough to confess, "I sell about 100 glasses of juice every day. So I make Rs 1,000. Moreover, I sell seasonal fruits and this selling of fruits yields another Rs 1,000. My net profit is Rs 200 per day. Business is not bad at all. I buy pineapple at Rs 20 a piece and mausamis Rs 36 a dozen. My customers are generally workers going and coming from work. Sometimes housewives who come to buy vegetables, take juice. At times, servants cheat their employers and save money and drink juice."

Hardly a few metres away is another juicewala, Sonu. His statement is quite at variance with that of Lachman. He says, "I buy pineapple at Rs 15 and sell juice at Rs 15. I buy a katta of mausamis for Rs 80. It has four dozens mausamis and I sell its juice at Rs 10. After Dasehra, my business has gone down. These days I sell only 30 to 40 glasses of juice which means I take home only Rs 40 to Rs 50. Earlier I was able to make Rs 70 to Rs 80 each day."

Both Lachman and Sonu are very thin with their bones sticking out. Though the prices of juices were different, one thing is common that the roadside entrepreneurs work extremely hard under very trying circumstances and returns are not proportionate to the hard work put in by them.