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City gets Permanent Lok Adalat Chandigarh, November 9 On the shortage of judges in the high court, Mr Justice Roy said, “The recommendations to appoint judges to the Punjab and Haryana High Court have already been made. Now it is for the government to decide”. There are 27 judges against the sanctioned strength of 40. Mr Justice Roy, who is also patron-in-chief of the State Legal Services Authority, inaugurated the permanent lok adalat on the occasion of Legal Service Day in Sector 17. Addressing the gathering, he said lok adalats were required to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen due to economic reasons or other disabilities. “The words” lok adalat “connotes within its ambit the judges and lawyers, who are the other side of the coin of administration of justice. The courts are required to play a positive role for the redress of grievances put before it”, the Chief Justice added. About the free legal aid, Mr Justice Roy said, Section 304 of the 1973 Code of Criminal Procedure Code specially talks of providing legal aid to the accused at the expense of the state in certain cases. The American Supreme Court had observed that “in a capital case where the defendant is unable to employ counsel and is incapable of adequately making his own defence because of ignorance, feeble-mindedness, illiteracy or the like, it is the duty of the court, whether requested or not, to assign counsel for him as a necessary requisite of the due process of law”. “Our Supreme Court in the Janardhan Reddy versus State of Hyderabad has not disputed this legal position”. Mr Justice Roy said the Permanent Lok Adalat would take up matters related to transport service for the carriage of passengers or goods by air, road and water or postal, telegraph or telephone services, supply of power, light or water to the public by any establishment, system of public conservancy or sanitation, service in hospital or dispensary, insurance service, housing and estates. Mr Justice Roy added that “the decision of the lok adalat will be final, having no right of appeal to either of the parties. Firstly, an attempt will be made to resolve the matter with mutual consent of both parties and if the parties do not agree for any mutual settlement, then the Permanent Lok Adalat shall pronounce the award on the basis of pleadings and documentary evidence placed on the file”. “The decision will be based upon the principle of fair play, equity and natural justice and shall not be bound by the provisions of Code of Civil Procedures, 1908, and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872”, he added. He informed that Parliament had created Permanent Lok Adalat, which had become functional with its Chairman, Mr R.P. Bajaj, and members, Mr J.S. Kohli and Mr K.C. Jaggi.
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846 cases
settled Chandigarh, November 9 Besides a sum of Rs 1.55 lakh was recovered in total 1,000 summary cases out of which 420 summary cases were disposed off by the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr C.L. Mohal. A fine of Rs 36, 500, was realised. Mr Justice N.K. Sodhi, Punjab and Haryana High Court Judge-cum- Executive Chairman of the SLSA, along with the UT District and Sessions Judge, Mr H.S Bhalla, settle cases at various courts. Mr Bhalla said in order to hold the special lok adalat, 16 Benches were constituted for taking up motor accident claim cases, matrimonial disputes in addition to summary trials. The senior functionaries of all insurance companies attended the lok adalat and helped resolve accidental claim cases. Highlighting
the aims and objectives of the SLSA, the UT Additional District and
Sessions Judge, Mr Sant Parkash, said any person from the general
public before going to the court could submit an application to get
his dispute settled through lok adalat without paying any court fee.
Applications relating to family disputes, recovery of loans, labour
problems, claim petitions, compoundable crime cases, could be sent to
the office of the SLSA for disposal at pre-litigative stage.
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Jagjit sings to capture souls Taxation officials keep the noose tightened The Jagjit Singh show did not run without trouble for Tycoon, the event managers who, despite having deposited Rs 1.44 lakh as entertainment tax with the UT Excise and Taxation Department yesterday, were today also facing the vigilant eye of ET Department officials. There were four ET officers and three inspectors present at the venue. While the concert was on, the officials were busy keeping a watch on the total number of people, who had been issued the so-called entertainment cards by Tycoon. It was on two sets of these cards, valued at Rs 5100 and Rs 2400, respectively, that UT Excise and Taxation Commissioner had ordered the organisers to pay up entertainment tax yesterday. Officials today informed that 1150 persons were carrying the cards. While 800 persons had cards valued at Rs 2400 each, the remaining 350 had cards worth Rs 5100 each. The organisers will be further directed to pay tax, after details of entertainment tax liable to be paid are worked out tomorrow. Chandigarh, November 9 Whereas it goes without saying that the maestro of the light classical stream of music did not make himself available even for a moment before the concert started at Hotel Mountview this evening, he later compensated for the lost moments by punching the passing time with his eternally springy voice. There were, however, some hints of age in some sections of his rendering, which comprised a blended treat of classical and light classical. Unlike the last time when Jagjit Singh went out of the way to concentrate on his ghazals and songs that form part of big screen projects these days, today he took care of the longing of the audience, which awaits to hear the Jagjit who was once synonymous with nostalgia. Some of the finest ghazals of Jagjit Singh adorn some of his earliest albums, particularly “The Unforgettables”, which was perhaps the most aptly titled one ever recorded by Jagjit and Chitra Singh. “Baat nikalegi to phir...,” the legendary nazm which formed a part of “The Unforgettables”, came as a virtual whiff of fresh air, diluting the sting in the air. With every musical utterance of Jagjit Singh, the nostalgia kept building up, only
Among the earlier presentations were the classics like, “Kal chaudavin ki raat thi...”, which is among the very best creations of the maestro, who also presented many of his new ghazals like “Mujhko pata hai sach kehti thi jo meri ammi kehti thi....Jab mere bachpan ke din the chaand pe pariyaan rehti thi...”. Even while Jagjit Singh’s musical offering continued inside the venue, a lot of ruckus marked the activity outside, where the event managers of Tycoon had a tough time handling the over-enthusiastic crowds. Some among those in waiting rued that they were being disallowed entry despite the possession of passes or tickets, as the case may be. So while Jagjit Singh mesmerised those who were fortunate enough to make it to the lawns, confusion kept company of those who were stranded at the entrance. Overall, the show was spicy, as it was meant to be, with Jagjit Singh in command.
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PU ponders over promotion policy Chandigarh, November 9 The university has made a move to introduce a credit system for the ranking of an employee. However, the move has been opposed with the argument that the current system could work better in case the annual confidential reports were prepared annually and copies handed over to the employees. Mr Dharam Pal Sharma, president of the PU Non-Teaching Employees Federation said, “The annual reports should be made public. Each employee should be rewarded in case of hard work and pulled up for faults regularly. The ACRs are treated as ‘top secret documents’ and are taken into account after more than five years or at the time of consideration for promotion only. A very professional employee is put on a par with non-professional one. Often, both got promoted together”. Prof K.N.Pathak, Vice-Chancellor, had introduced the subject of quantitative system of evaluating work in reports in the university Syndicate earlier this year to give a more professional touch to the university administration. There is a long list of public complaints on account of non-professionalism in dealing with university matters. Professor Pathak said, “due to promotion by seniority alone, even inefficient people are promoted as officers. Promotions should be merit based.” The university has also proposed quantitative evaluation of ACRs. The Vice-Chancellor said he had made random checks for observing punctuality among the employees and found that “even the officers turned up late”. He said to discourage dharnas during office hours, the principle of “no work, no pay” should be implemented. The matter of promotions will be referred to a committee which will send it to the Joint Consultative Machinery (JCM) and take representatives of the non-teaching wing into confidence. Mr Sharma said the JCM is supposed to meet once every three months but it meets after a year and the body has no teeth. The university has taken into account a letter by the Government of Punjab for promotions in case of Class I and Class II employees. The university is also considering a note by Prof Paramjit Singh, university registrar. “We should accept the quantitative evaluation system as done in the Punjab Government which provides for four points for outstanding ACR, three for very good, two for good and one for average. For getting a promotion, an employee should get at least 60 per cent in the last five reports”, the Registrar's proposal reads. |
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The man who transformed dacoits SAS Nagar, November 9 Known as the dacoit man, Dr S.N. Subba Rao, founder of the National Youth Project of India, has since been responsible for the surrender of 654 dacoits from 1960 to 1976 with the last lot of 123 laying down arms in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. “It was a historical moment when in 1972, 189 dacoits surrendered before Jayaprakash Narayan at Mahatma Gandhi Seva Ashram, Chambal, which I had established with the help of some volunteers in 1970. I worked with the help of Tehsildar Singh, Man Singh’s son,” recalled Mr Rao while talking to The Tribune here yesterday. “Once I had figured out that it is not money or the lack of it that made a person take to weapons but revenge for an injustice done, I knew what had to be done to convince them to come back to the mainstream. For example, there was this 16-year-old boy, Khunta, one of the youngest of the lot. He told me that ever since he was five, his mother had ingrained into him that he had to avenge his father’s death. The day he got enough energy to hold a gun, he shot the man dead and then joined a giroh. But we were able to bring him back,” he said. Rajiv Gandhi Sadhbhavna awardee and veteran Gandhian, Dr Rao joined India’s “What the government must realise is that in cases of violence, prevention is always better than cure. The government is ready to spend millions on defence but not a penny on peace. Why not work on the young minds of the nation so that a situation like Gujarat or the Mumbai riots does not occur at all?” he said. Known for his rail yatras, the Gandhi Darshan Train rail exhibition that travelled across India in 1969 and then the sadbhavna rail yatra in the early nineties, Dr Rao believes that the message of peace and harmony has to be instilled at the individual level. A tireless worker, Dr Rao is now planning his future projects. “Other than the youth and children camps, we are trying to bring forth an economic pattern based on the revival of small industry in villages. At Chambal, for example, we are working with the adivasis who were being forced to work at very low wages for producing honey. Now we have enlightened them and the result is that they are exporting honey, earning over a thousand rupees a month. The solution to India’s poverty lies not in bringing MNCs here but in strengthening our rural industry. Impart skills based in the local area’s economic structure and create jobs for the jobless,” he pointed out.
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Anti-incumbency wave to help BJP, says
Sahib Singh Chandigarh, November 9 “The very fact that Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit is looking for a safe Assembly seat for herself, clearly shows that the Congress is finding the going tough,” he said. He was in the city to inaugurate a coffee outlet ‘Mr Beans’ in Sector 9, here today. He said there was a strong anti-incumbency wave against the sitting Congress legislators in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Delhi and the party was not in a position to field too many new faces. Dismissing the edge given to the Congress in the opinion poll, he said it was too early to predict the outcome. “The credit for reducing pollution in Delhi by introducing CNG, despite opposition by the Delhi Government, construction of flyovers, the Delhi Metro and majority of other projects goes to the Central Government,” he said. During the regime of Ms Dikshit, not even a single MW of power had been generated nor the projects initiated by the BJP government in Delhi had been completed, he added. Terming the performance of the Delhi Government as dismal, he said not even a single promise listed in the Congress election manifesto at the time of 1998 Assembly poll had been fulfilled. “The people have made up their mind to vote for the BJP, who fulfilled all promises made in its 1993 election manifesto during its five year rule,” he claimed. He said the BJP had already decided on the names for the party ticket for 61 of the 76 Assembly segments. He said the performance of the BJP-led government at the Centre would help the party fare well in the Assembly poll. Talking about the proposed social security cover scheme for the unorganised sector, he said unfortunately even after 56 years of independence nothing had been done for their welfare. “The Group of Ministers has already cleared the scheme and once it is approved by the Cabinet, 37 crore workers in the unorganised sector will benefit from it,” he added. He said the scheme envisaged a provision for Rs 30,000 medical expenses per family, Rs 500 monthly pension and in case of death, the family would get an insurance amount of Rs 1 lakh. |
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Smoke fruity hookahs Chandigarh, November 9 The third outlet of Mr Beans in the country after Jaipur and Indore, it’s not just another coffee shop but a place with a totally different ambience. Unlike the regular coffee shops, it is designed like a coffee lounge with a comfortable look. Having separate lounges and sections, it offers privacy to the customers. The coffee outlet was inaugurated by the Union Labour Minister, Mr Sahib Singh Verma. To the delight of the lensmen present there, he also had a go at the fruit-flavoured hookah. The biggest attraction, however, is the 30-fruit flavoured nicotine-free sheesha — a Persian hookah. The menu apart from the normal cappuccinos has specialities like Arabic coffee flavours — Cafe Veronica (a coffee dessert). The Indore-based coffee chain, Mr Beans, will have 30 outlets all over the country. “Instead of getting the feel of being at a coffee outlet, the ambience of the place will make you feel no different than being in your own living room, partying with friends,” is how Tanmay Mukherjee, Manager Operations, describes the place.
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Vintage car rally takes off from Parwanoo Solan, November 9 The drive was flagged off from Parwanoo at 9:30 a.m. With vehicles like 1928’s Austin, Mercedes Benz, Rolls Royce, Cheo Jeep of the world War II, Ford Mustang, Chrysler, Riley, MG and many others, it was a treat for passersby to see these heritage classics in action. The drive was organised by the Heritage Motoring Club of India, New Delhi, as part of the centenary celebrations of the Kalka-Shimla rail track. The president of the club, Mr
K.C.Anand, said it was an opportunity to promote tourism in the hill state. Though the drive was not competitive, two categories were identified for special appreciation. This included the Concord de Elegance, which will bag the Rai Bahadur M.S. Oberoi Trophy and also the most-motivated vehicle, which will be awarded the Shri Dharam Chaud Anand trophy. Explaining the concept of the two trophies the judge for the occasion, Mr R.N Seth says, “Since Vintage Classics represent a refined, finer taste in cars which is not just driving but comfort and luxury much will depend on the appearance, performance and upkeep of each car. Keeping these attributes in mind, about nine vehicles have been narrowed down.”
Diljeet Titus, driving an impeccable red Chevrolet Belair, lauded the warm reception extended by locals on the way. The driver of the oldest car, a 1928 model Chummy Austrian Gyan Sharma from Delhi said the car was comparable to Maruti of the present times. Bought at a modest Rs 1,500 in the 1990s from a hotelier it had to be completely overhauled for reviving it from its dilapidated condition. Negotiating the traffic, especially between Kalka and Parwanoo, was a challenge since the old hydraulic system of the vehicle has limited scope for stopping a vehicle, he informed. Also seen were some old motor cycles reminiscent of the old times. While keeping the vehicle in proper shape is a major challenge, preparations for the drive started almost a month back for Jitender Pandit, member of the club. The mileage for the diesel driven vehicles registers a steep fall with the hill journey. The vintage classic owners, however, complained that with availability of spare parts becoming a difficult proposition, most of the times they had to be imported. The heavy customs duty and the lack of registered documents often posed problems for the owners, lamented Manjit Dayal, from Delhi driving a Mercedes Benz. He stressed on the need for the
government to help preserve these heritage vehicles. The cavalcade was flagged off from Kairighat after a brief halt there. Its onward journey to Shimla. considered the toughest due to the steep rise in height, would be the testing time for the decades old vehicles. |
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CHANDIGARH CALLING
Out of the many remarks that Sir Mark Tully fondly made about India during his lecture at the British Library on November 6, the most interesting one pertained to the culture of India vis-a-vis America. Lauding India and Indians for their delightful pluralism and their wonderful history that is replete with examples of assimilation of varied cultures, Sir Mark Tully compared America and India thus: “America has a soup culture, in which everything tastes alike, whereas India has a salad culture, where you are treated to a host of delicacies and can taste each one of them in isolation. So you know what the carrot, the radish and the lettuce taste like and you can also enjoy and savour their variety.”
Chandigarh College of Architecture on the Punjab Engineering College campus in Sector 12 welcomes the visitors with interesting details not only about itself and its origin, but also about a lot of other things that dot its rich compound. Known for maintaining an animated campus, the CCA authorities have gone a step further by adding more punch to the surroundings. This time around, their focus has been on the different kind of trees that find place on the compact outer area of the college. Every cluster of trees has been identified for a casual viewer to the campus, who will now know the species of the tree, its common as well as botanical name just by looking at the tree. At the base of every cluster stands a small indicator carrying details of the trees, much to the delight of visitors, who make sure they stroll about the green spaces, consuming every green detail on offer. While no one still knows the exact description of the greening plan of Chandigarh, every visitor to CCA at least now knows what trees enrich the PEC campus. These trees include — Amaltas (Cassia fistula); Chattim (Salstonia scholari), Neem (Azadirachita indica) and
Chandni.
Passionate
people After Mark Tully’s heartfelt disposition on India the other day, it became very difficult for the man conducting the show to prevent people from voicing their opinions about the state of affairs in India. So what was meant to be half an hour interactive session between Sir Tully and the listners, turned into another session of lectures, this time by those among the audience. While the man behind the dais kept requesting people to keep their questions short and straight, many among the gathering took the opportunity to lecture the journalist back on issues critical to India and its governance. As a result, some genuinely intrigued minds could not vent their feelings. Agitated over the paucity of time, an elderly person took on the organisers, who wanted to wrap up the show. He said: “Tully just talked about the urgency of public expression. You would be defeating the very purpose of his talk if you prevent me from talking to him.” No wonder the schedules went haywire, even as Sir Mark Tully benignly accommodated every question posed to him.
She turned into he Rajinder Pal Singh Mudhar, a resident of SAS Nagar, has highlighted a peculiar situation he faces at hands of the Regional Passport Office. The RPO has changed the sex of his daughter. The passport of Prabhjot Kaur Mudhar shows her to be a male. Mr Mudhar has pointed out that the application clearly mentioned her sex as female; the school certificate attached along with the application also shows the fact; the police enquiry gave the same report; and most importantly the clerk working in India should know that Kaur was used for females only. Now, should Mr Mudhar once again stand in a queue asking for correction or will the passport authorities volunteer to help?
“Press” stickers Meeting the demand of parking stickers from members of the fourth estate is becoming a headache for the officers of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh. Things have come to such a pass that the Mayor of the corporation is reluctant to issue any more stickers to the mediapersons. But the Mayor has every reason to say no. A number of instances have been quoted when persons directly or indirectly related to a media organisation have passed on the press stickers to their distant relatives or friends for personal use. Such stickers have been noticed on the vehicles of non-journalists, say officers of the corporation. By the rule book, the parking sticker could be issued to an accredited journalist, a correspondent who covers the corporation beat or to a working journalist. To check the menace, the parking contractors have started asking for the identity card to verify whether the person driving a car was a genuine journalist.
AC Bar room After a very long time, the pending project of airconditioning the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Room will move towards completion. The ducts had been laid and false ceiling installed, but somehow due to paucity of funds the work had come to a near standstill. But now with the Chief Minister announcing a grant of Rs 33 lakh and promising another Rs 32 lakh the next year, the work will start again. At least this is what Bar Association President Dr Anmol Rattan Sidhu has to say.
Not really dead The living memory of a performing artist, who made his final exit from the world while saving the life of a school student, is being kept alive through fiction. Every year in November, one-act play festival — Natyotsav — is organised on the occasion of his birthday. This year, television and film personality Pankaj Berry is expected to arrive in the city for attending the festival being held on November 22 at DAV College auditorium in Sector 10. About 250 young artists from all over the region will be staging as many as 15 plays. The first session will be devoted to schools students. The second session will be held for college students and others interested. It was on August 5, 1987, when artist Prabhat Gupta, popularly known as Michael, was served his final summons at the busy intersection of Sector 19 and 27. Just as a truck was about to hit a young innocent, Gupta pushed him aside before losing his balance. Before breathing his last, the artist told the child, “I have saved you, but now I am going....”
The Department of Posts has released a commemorative postage stamp of Narendra Mohan, a noted journalist. A special stamp in the denomination of Rs 500 was recently issued by the Senior Postmaster, Chandigarh. The contemporary Indian press drew inspiration from his legacy of powerful and fearless journalism. Narendra Mohan, an illustrious journalist, was born on October 10, 1934 at Kapli, Uttar Pradesh. He moved to Kanpur later on where his father, Babu Puran Chander Gupta, set up the Hindi newspaper, Dainik Jagran in 1947. Narendra Mohan became the editor of Dainik Jagran in 1965. During the heyday of English newspapers, he took upon himself the mantle of upliftment of Hindi journalism. In recognition of his achievements, Narendra Mohan was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1996. The noted journalist passed away on September 20, 2002.
Cancer research Dr Rajeev Bedi, a Doctor of Medicine (DM) in Medical Oncology, has come in as a prized asset to residents of the city and surrounding areas as he is the first one from this field to come to the city. He has recently joined the Fortis Hospital, SAS Nagar. The Oncologist specialises in medical oncology which is one of the frontal areas of research on cancer. Dr Bedi finished as the 10th overall candidate from the AIIMS and as the first one from Punjab in December, 2002. During his seven years experience at the premier institution of the country, Dr Bedi won a gold medal and a prize for best cancer research at AIIMS during the convocation in March earlier this year. Dr Bedi has travelled to the UK earlier this year to Royal Marsden Cancer Hospital, London.
Tailpiece Written in a Sector 35 PCO: If you have spare time, don’t waste it here — Go to Fragrance Garden. — Sentinel |
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One dance girl gets fresh
contract in Goa Chandigarh, November 9 "Komal who went to Bangalore along with Simran and Ranji has gone to Goa on a fresh contract," sources known to Komal told the Chandigarh Tribune. She finished her contract in Bangalore and was offered a new one in Goa. Komal, Rajni and Simran were among the girls who were sent from the city in a group. While three of them came back, Rajni and Simran stayed back in Bangalore. The police initiated action against the agents who were sending the girls on the complaint of Simran's mother Anup Kaur. Komal's mother Asha, who is alleged to have been behind getting the girls on contract, has also absconded. Her house was found locked. The remand of the five accused arrested ends tomorrow. Asha's landlord said she had not been seen since she was booked by the police in the human trafficking case. Other Daddu Majra-based accused Baljeet and Kuldeep's families virtually shunned by the village when they were booked, are now regaining the sympathy of the villagers after a few of the girls recovered from Bangalore accused the police of interfering in their profession. Children of the two accused have stopped going to school, saying that they could not face society amidst allegations. Gurbachan Singh and Rakesh Kumar, persons known to Baljeet and Kuldeep, said villagers were now understanding that the police had miscalculated in the case and levelled allegations without proof. Kuldeep and Baljeet were respectable persons of the village and were organisers of a sports event of 22 villages for the past 25 years, they said. They said the villagers were now waiting for statements of Rajni and Simran to know if there was any immorality or illegality involved in their activity. The villagers said they were now preparing for an agitation against the alleged high-handedness of the police and the defamation of certain persons. |
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Money rains in
Bangalore pubs, say city visitors Chandigarh, November 9 The musclemen politely ask you to buy entry tickets ranging between Rs 100 and Rs 500. As he enters the pub, he is shocked to see two persons collecting notes of 100 and 500 denominations with a broom on the dance floor. Purses of each of the dance girls were stuffed with between Rs 25,000 and Rs 30,000. The girls get commission according to their collection. This a first-hand account of four persons from the city who had visited these pubs in Bangalore during their trips between July and August this year. The visitors refused to be identified. They said it was a place worth re-visiting. Out of the four nights they spent in Bangalore, they visited these pubs three nights. The persons said money starts raining once people have a couple of pegs or beer glasses in the triple-storeyed pubs. They said the girls come tantalisingly close to a visitor and serve liquor. They come to you and go away dancing. A group of 25 to 30 girls sway on the dance floor. The eagle-eyed seven foot bouncers in the bar deter the visitors from acting fresh with the girls. Such is the order in the pub that even policemen are not anywhere near the bar. If a person goes out of control or tries to violate the bar code, a bouncer tries to persuade him to behave properly and if he does not relent, he is taken out of the bar, the city visitors said. They said the pub has different categories of services according to one’s paying capacity. The city men went to other pubs too that charge between Rs 50 and Rs 100, but they are no match to the ones owned by K.M. Muralidhar, one of the accused in the human trafficking case. However, they said, they were told there were even better pubs in the city than those of
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cows, calf crushed to death by train Panchkula, November 9 A calf succumbed to the injuries late last evening after it remained unattended by the Railway police staff and the Panchkula police since the both police were in confusion over their respective jurisdictions. Residents, especially children, of the area assembled at the spot soon after the accident and tried to rescue of the animals. Some of them extended first aid before the veterinary doctors reached. While talking to the Tribune Mr Shamsher Singh, an eyewitness, said that speeding train hit two cows and two calves of a herd of 10-12 cattle while grazing along the railway line. The residents said after visiting the scene, cops belonging to the Panchkula police and the Railway police left the animals unattended. Finally, the Panchkula Municipal Council lifted two carcasses along with a seriously injured calf. The Panchkula police authorities said the case was with the Railway police at Chandigarh. However, the Railway police in Chandigarh, denied registration of any case relating to the death of cattle. |
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Stray animals continue to give
MC tough time Panchkula, November 9 Stray animals can be seen on most of the A roads, especially those near slum and labour colonies and 13 Panchkula villages at night. The animals are responsible for several accidents. Stray cattle is found in abundance in sectors adjacent to villages and slum and labour colonies. It is estimated that there are about 280 dairy farms and over 5000 cattle head, including at Mansa Devi Complex and the villages of this town. Sources in the MC say that of the 5000 cattle head, atleast 1500 have been abandoned by owners. The stray dog population is about 1500, while the population of pigs is about 500. The fluid political situation in the MC leading to the Congress gaining strength, political considerations have also played a major role in curbing the menace. The MC authorities agree that on several occasions they have succumbed to the pressure from councillors of slum colonies and villages to let go off cattle that is rounded up. The authorities had earlier allowed dairy owners two hours each night, to take the cattle for drinking water, but it only worsened the situation and the authorities were forced to withdraw the order. The MC president, Mrs Seema Chaudhary, said the animals rounded up by a private contractor were left 40 km away from the MC limits. This had, however, failed to have the desired results, especially in Sectors 4, 12, 12-A, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21 and Mansa Devi Complex, because of their proximity to villages where dairies were located. Though the contractor had been allowed to impose fines (Rs 1500 for cow and buffalo and Rs 1000 for other animals) on the owners, it had hardly proved to be a deterrent. She said they had now decided to take on lease about 50 acres for a dairy complex, and 5 acres for a gaushala from the panchayats of either Asrewali, Kot or Mankya villages. This, would help solve the cattle menace to a large extent, she said. |
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Press Club flays TN move against The Hindu scribes Chandigarh, November 9 In a resolution released to the Press, the president of the club said: “We, the Chandigarh-based journalists, severely condemn the blatant act of repression by the Tamil Nadu Assembly and the state government, which have resorted to ordering imprisonment of top management, publishers, editors and journalists of a leading Chennai based English daily, The Hindu, and a Tamil news publication, Murasoli. “Blinded by majority on the floor of the House, the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu has misused the powers of the First Estate against the Fourth to settle personal grouse against individuals. The incident has not exposed the grave threat to the freedom of the Press as well as the right to expression granted in the statute, but also is indicative of the growing levels of intolerance within society at large to the expression of dissent,” he said. “We also condemn the high-handed and unruly behaviour of the Tamil Nadu police, which exhibited extreme urgency to arrest the journalists against whom the verdict had been pronounced in the state Assembly in a most undemocratic manner. The ruling Benches’ apathy towards the dissent by the Opposition clearly indicates an autocratic mindset,” the resolution said. “We demand that the decision of the Tamil Nadu Assembly be immediately rescinded and appeal to the AIADMK to reconsider its decision to preserve democratic norms and values. We also appeal to the President of India, the Prime Minister and the Union Government to intervene in the matter,” it said. “In case the Tamil Nadu Assembly decides to be adamant on its decision to oppress the media and stifle the independent voices of dissent, we commit ourselves to a prolonged struggle for justice and preservation of the democratic right of expression. We also feel that it was high time that “Freedom of the Press” was institutionalised after debating the matter in the general public,” it maintained. The resolution is also supported by The Tribune Employees’ Union, the Co-ordination Committee of Chandigarh Newspaper and News Agencies Employees’ the Chandigarh Journalists’ Association, The Press Club, Mohali, the Haryana Patarkar Sangh, the Chandigarh News Photographers’ Association, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Press Gallery Committee, the Punjabi Lekhak Sabha, the Small Newspapers’ Association and the Chandigarh-Punjab Journalists’ Association. Members of the Indian Citizens’ Welfare Forum have also condemned the decision of Tamil Nadu Assembly to arrest the six journalists which included the top brass in the editorial section of The Hindu. Meanwhile, the Chandigarh-Punjab Union of Journalists will hold a protest rally near Plaza, Sector 17, at 12 noon tomorrow. Mr Vinod Kohli, the state president of the union, said the rally was being organised in protest against Tamil Nadu Assembly’s decision seeking the arrest of six journalists, including the editor of The Hindu. |
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Bulb removed from boy’s tummy Chandigarh, November 9 “While playing with the other village children, my son swallowed the glass bulb used in a torch at about 4 pm today and despite our best efforts we could not pull it out of his throat where it got stuck,” said Mr Surinder Pal Singh Kang of Sill village, near Morinda. Mr Kang said since the child started crying due to the pain, he managed to push down the bulb from his throat into the stomach. The child was then rushed to Hope Clinic and Maternity Centre in Sector 21-B. “I did an endoscopy to remove the bulb from the stomach of the child. The most important task was to ensure that it is pulled out intact as the thin glass could cause damage to the stomach and other organs if it broke,” explained Dr
Nagpal. Dr Nagpal said though there have been many cases where swallowed items like toothbrush or a thermometer had been removed from the stomach of patients, it was for the first time that a bulb was removed by him. He said the child was doing fine and would be discharged soon. |
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Encroachment alleged Zirakpur, November 9 Reacting to a news item published in Chandigarh Tribune on Sunday in this regard, Mr Bhardwaj said he had already taken protection from the local police. He said in the wee hours on Thursday, Colonel Goraya and Ms Manveen Ghai, along with Dr Ramesh Dutt Sharma, a Punjab minister who was escorted by his gunmen, reached the spot and attacked some workers guarding his land from encroachers. The trio along with the help of the security guards, snatched a mobile and Rs 2,000 from the workers besides beating them up. They also fired bullets in the air and took away two motor cycles. He said he had legally purchased the land from Ms Jaswinder Kaur
Maan, widow of Mr Surinder Singh Maan. “Titan Motors (P) Ltd has occupied its share (2.18
bighas) of the ‘disputed land’ by constructing a boundary wall and the rest part (3.11
bighas) belongs to Ms Maan which she — being a legal heir of late Mr Surinder Singh Maan — had sold to me,’’ Mr Bhardwaj said. |
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SEARCH WITHIN THE relevance of Guru Nanak to modern times lies in the fact that he pioneered the ideals of the brotherhood of man and the oneness of God at a time when rituals and superstitions and asceticism donned the robes of religiosity. He gave birth to some of the profound concepts of the equality of man contained in Sikhism. Rather than the escape route to asceticism, he advocated the life of a householder as the ideal and taught morality as a basis for spiritual growth. “Asceticism doesn’t lie in ascetic robes, or in a walking staff, nor in the ashes. Asceticism doesn’t lie in the ear-ring, nor in the shaven head, nor in blowing a conch. Asceticism lies in remaining pure amidst impurities. Asceticism doesn’t lie in mere words. He is an ascetic who treats everyone alike. Asceticism doesn’t lie in visiting burial places. It lies not in wandering about, nor in bathing at places of pilgrimage. Asceticism is to remain pure amidst impurities.” (Suhi) Theodore Parker speaks for the modern man when he asserts: “I recommend no sore ascetic life. I believe not only in the thorns on the rosebush, but in the roses which the thorns defend. Asceticism is the child of sensuality and superstition. She is the secret mother of many a secret sin. God, when he made man’s body, did not give us a fibre too much, nor a passion too many.” Guru Nanak entered the religious scene with such views at a time when superstitions and rituals dominated religious practices. The entire discipline and institutions of the Gurus can be appreciated only if one understands that, by the very logic of Guru Nanak’s system, the householder’s life became essential for the seeker. His followers were ordinary men, living at their own homes and pursuing their normal vocations. They did not adopt the lifestyle of recluses of those days in pursuit of truth. He emphasised the role of man as a householder, living this life to the full. Every one of the Gurus, excepting Guru Harkishan who died at an early age, was a married person who maintained a family. When Guru Nanak sent Guru Angad from Kartarpur to Khadur Sahib to start his mission there, he advised him to send for the members of his family and live a normal life. When Guru Nanak went to visit Guru Angad at Khadur Sahib, he found him living a life of withdrawal and meditation. The Guru directed Angad to be active as he had to fulfil his mission and organise a community inspired by his religious principles. Work, both for earning one’s livelihood and serving the common good, constitutes a fundamental tenet of Sikhism. There is a clear record that everyone up to the fifth Guru (and probably subsequent Gurus too) earned his livelihood by a separate vocation and contributed his surplus to the institution of langar. Each Sikh was made to accept his social responsibility, so much so that Guru Angad and finally Guru Amar Das clearly ordered that Udasis, persons living a celibate and ascetic life without any productive vocation, should remain excluded from the Sikh fold. As against it, any worker or a householder without distinction of class or caste could become a Sikh. This indicates how these two principles were deemed fundamental to the mystic system of Guru Nanak. It was defined and laid down that in Sikhism a normal productive and moral life could alone be the basis of spiritual progress. Here, by the very rationale of the mystic path, no one who was not following a normal life could be fruitfully included. Extreme forms of renunciation is also supported by the injunctions in the Gita: “He who shirks action does not attain freedom; no one can gain perfection by abstaining from work. Indeed there is no one who rests even for an instant; every creature is driven by action by his own nature. Those who abstain from action while allowing the mind to dwell on sensual pleasure cannot be called sincere spiritual aspirants. But they excel who control their senses through the mind, using them for selfless service.” “Fulfil all your duties; action is better than inaction,” the Gita commands. Lord Krishna reminds his disciple: “Even to maintain your body, Arjuna, you are obliged to act. But it is selfish action that imprisons the world. Act selflessly without any thought of personal profit.” (Chapter 3) The Guru, born in 1469, had to contend with caste, religion and social distinctions and untouchability. These distinctions had received religious sanction leading to oppression and exploitation of the weaker sections. The institution of langar was to establish the truth of the brotherhood of man. As everyone sat and ate at the same place and shared the same food, it cut at the root of the evil of caste, class and religious distinctions. Besides, it demolished the idea of pollution of food by the mere presence of an untouchable. Secondly it provided food to the needy. This institution of langar and pangat was started by the Guru among all his followers wherever they had been organised. It became an integral part of the moral life of the Sikhs. We may have progressed in many directions since the times of Nanak; yet we have not risen above caste and religious labels as a nation. We commemorate his birth but still choose to live in darkness. M. P. K. Kutty
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Jain muni unfolds secret
of penance Chandigarh, November 9 He was speaking at the ‘Mangal Bhavna Samaharo’ organised by Rashtriya Matri Parishad and Terapanthi Sabha in Sector 18 here today on the concluding day of Chaturmasik Parisampanta’. Jain Munis during the Chaturmasik period stay at one place and are on the move for the rest of the year. During these four months, they do creative work. They also try to reform society, pleading people not to indulge in evil, terror and violence. Muni Alok emphasised that these four months (Chaturmasik) enable an individual to live better. He unfolded the secrets of penance, of life and the world at large. He told the gathering that unless one changed, one could not grow further. Change is a must for progress. Dr Kewal Krishan, Speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha was the chief guest and Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, presided over the function. |
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Residents urged not to pollute Sukhna Chandigarh, November 9 The administration said here today that it had been seen that because of religious belief at times, citizens throw ‘diyas’ in the lake which polluted the surrounding environment and may endanger the life of the lake. “Sukhna Lake is one of the landmarks of the city and is a must-visit place for the visitors to the city. Even local residents also frequently visit the lake for outing or brisk walking. It is a habitat for various kinds of migratory birds. The residents should therefore refrain from throwing anything in the lake and cooperate with the Administration in keeping the lake clean and beautiful,” the administration added. |
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British Library
exhibition on children’s books Chandigarh, November 9 Being organised by the British Library in collaboration with Butterfly Books, the exhibition will include, picture books, encyclopaedias, sound books, reference books, early learning and reading in the children’s section while books of renowned UK publishers like Barefoot Books, Little Tiger Press, Island Books, Index Books will also be exhibited. It will be inaugurated by the Education Minister, Punjab, Mr Khushal Behl. Books on various subjects ranging from fiction and fairytales to science and craft will also be there. Science kits, craft kits and unusual craft packs like foil and foam art kits, paper mache, stencil kits would also be on sale. The prices of these books range from Rs 50 to Rs 700 and a discount of 30 per cent will be offered. Members of the British Library will get a discount of 40 per cent. |
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Flavour of peace Chandigarh, November 9 The programme was conducted by Brahmakumaris, Sector 21, Rajyoga Meditation Centre. The aim of the programme was to tell the senior citizens how to make their life peaceful, happy and meaningful by using the spiritual power of peace. |
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Vegetable vendor murdered brutally SAS Nagar, November 9 According to the police, the victim’s neck had been first cut with a sharp-edged weapon and later his head and face were smashed with a heavy stone or brick. Sources informed that Piara Lal was unmarried and living in the village with his sister-in-law after the death of his brother. The police said the family was very poor and living hand to mouth. Piara Lal used to sell vegetables at Chandigarh and Mohali. The incident came to light when Piara Lal did not reach home till midnight and the two nephews went out to look for him. They found Piara Lal’s rehri on the roadside. Then they went into a field nearby and found that Piara Lal was lying in a pool of blood with his head smashed and neck cut. The police has registered a case under sections 302/34 of the IPC against unidentified persons. The body has been sent for post-mortem. The police said it had found no clue about the murderer at the spot. But from the manner in which the murder had been done, it seems that Piara Lal was killed for revenge, it added.
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Car stolen
from house Panchkula, November 9 In his complaint to the police, Mr Suresh Malhotra said he had parked his car outside his relative’s house at about 9.30 pm and found the vehicle missing when he returned after 15 minutes. He also informed the PCR and reported the matter to the police at about 1.45 pm.
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Cooperative to make broiler ‘affordable’ Chandigarh, November 9 Though Bromark—All-India Broiler Farmers Marketing Cooperative—has already evoked good response from both poultry farmers and consumers in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and a few other states, it will soon be spreading its operations in Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana markets. "If one looks at the price at which a poultry farmer sells a bird and the rate at which a consumer buys it, one will find the difference unacceptably high. For example, the prevalent rate that farmers get is Rs 32 to Rs 35 a kg, while in the retail market it is sold for Rs 75 to Rs 80 per kg," says Mr Sandeep Bhatia, assistant manager, marketing, Bromark. "Chandigarh," he says, "is a big market. The average consumption is about 15,000 birds a day. If we make chicken available at an affordable price, says Rs 60 or Rs 65 a kg, it will push up sale and help both producers and consumers. "The idea is that both farmers and consumers should benefit and prevent trade malpractices. Once this cooperative movement is in place, the market scenario will improve. We plan that this cooperative should have its own outlets so that consumers are assured of quality as well as affordable price. "One of challenges facing the poultry industry is establishing credibility. Because of the big variation in the price of chicken, at times consumers get the impression that they are being supplied diseased or dead birds. "The endeavour of the new cooperative federation would be to build credibility and promise consumers that they would get healthy birds. Our outlets will have a standard design and each outlet will have to maintain hygiene and cleanliness standards. "Regarding low prices, the increase in consumption will offset the decreased margin of profit of traders and retailers," adds Mr Bhatia, revealing that the idea of introducing cooperatives in the poultry sector came from Dr B.V. Rao, father of the poultry industry in India. Mr Bhatia says that in introducing cooperative marketing, the idea is not to replace the existing trade channels in any manner, but to ensure quality products at affordable price. The new concept is modelled on the National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC), which ensures that the egg prices are remunerative to the producer and fair to the consumer. With its various activities and promotional campaigns, it has been successful in keeping the gap between the farmgate price and the consumer price at not more than 30 per cent. In the present-day chicken industry, the difference is 100 to 110 per cent. Once farmers join the cooperative, things would change, hopes Mr Bhatia. |
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Seminar focuses on WTO regime SAS Nagar, November 9 Stating that the Indian Government, while exhibiting opposition to the WTO agenda, was doing exactly what the West wanted, she said: “We should categorically tell the WTO that we will take our own decision regarding subsidies depending on our situation. We will allow protection depending on our own needs. But we are not going to act on what the WTO or IMF or WB tell us.” Regarding the disinvestment process, Ms Amarjit Kaur said initially, it was started to close down the units which could not be revived. “But later, the government started saying that totally sick units cannot be sold and started to sell out those units who were making profits,” she pointed out. Earlier, Dr Sucha Singh Gill, a renowned economist, delivered the keynote address. He said it was unfortunate that the government had failed to protect national interests. “Even the little safeguards facilities available for the protection of agriculture have not been used by India,” he pointed out. Prof Randhir Singh presided over the seminar. |
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Sector 17 plaza lucky draw winners delighted Chandigarh, November 9 “We had purchased some items from a couple of showrooms in the Sector 17 plaza, expecting to win some prize. But we had not expected that we would win the first prize,” said Mr Malhotra. “We will celebrate this achievement with friends and family,” he added. City residents had started gathering since early evening today to known the names of lucky persons who would win the Mahindra Scorpio, Hyundai Accent, gold jewellery, refrigerators, washing machines, CTVs and lots of other prizes. The Business Promotion Council, Sector 17, had announced to offer prizes worth Rs 30 lakh to the public for participating in the 40-day festival sales. Over 140 outlets participated in the schemes. Customers were offered a lucky coupon for making a purchase of Rs 500 from any of these outlets and gold and diamond jewellery worth Rs 1000. Among others, Mr Mohit Singla of Kurali won the Hyundai Accent, Mr Harjeet Singh of Shimla, Mr Gurbir Gill of Dera Bassi and Mr Arjun Gupta of Sector 39, Chandigarh won bikes. Ms Chandani Verma, Mr Arshinder Singh and Mr Abhijit Goyal won 10 tolas of gold each. Those who won washing machines included Ms Manju Gupta, Mr Pankaj Madan, Mr Gagan Chaudhary, Dr Sandhya Gautam, Ms Simi Kathuria, Mr Sanjeev Bhandari, Mr Joginder Singh, Ms Maninderjit Kaur and Dr Meenu Sharma. The refrigerator winners were Mr Anav Dhawan, Mr Mohinder Singh, Mr Nirmal Singh, Mr R.L. Gupta, Mr Manju Garg, Mr Amritdeep Kaur, Mr Navdeev Singh, Mr Sameer Silowari and Ms Meenu. Microwave ovens were given to Mr Ranvir Singh Goraya, Mr Gurdeep, Mr Parbhdeep Singh, Ms Hansing, Mr Kulwant Singh, Mr Eash Goyal, Mr Abhishek Sharma, Ms Manu Dua and Ms Gurmeet Kaur. Colour TV sets were won by Mr Mijjamudin, Ms Pooja Jain, Dr D. Dhawan, Mr Gagan Deep, Ms Anuja Mittal, Mr Ranjit Gupta, Ms Manpreet Kaur , Mr Prem Sharma, and Mr L.C. Arora. The gathering enjoyed the live performance of Kulbir, Karan Jasraj, Satti and other singers. Mr Pawan Bansal, local MP, gave away the prizes to the lucky winners. |
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New HP
diesel assures better results Chandigarh, November 9 Launching the product, Mr G.A. Shirwaikar, Executive Director Coordination, claimed that HPCL was the first oil company in India to introduce additive diesel fuel in India. The company has already launched its branded petrol ‘Power’ in all major markets across the country. The company claimed that Turbojet was the new generation diesel that would contain specially imported additives. Inherently different from petrol engines, the diesel engines do not rely upon spark plugs for igniting the fuel in the combustion chamber. Instead, ignition takes place when a mist of diesel is injected into the combustion chamber containing air heated to a very high temperature. Formation of deposits in the fuel injection system can lead to severe problems and reduce the performance of the vehicle considerably. Similarly, carbon deposits formed after burning of the fuel also affects engine performance as well as engine life. The Turboject diesel, said Mr Shirwaikar, ensures cleaning of deposits and pervents the formation of fresh deposits in the engine. It would result in better performance, more mileage, easier acceleration and lesser emissions, he added. He claimed that the HPCL had prepared Turbojet diesel for new generation diesel vehicles in the passenger car segment, light commercial vehicles and heavy-duty vehicles. Mr Shirwaikar said the branded diesel and petrol would be available at 53 “Club HP” retail outlets in Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. The branded petrol and diesel, which are priced marginally higher than the regular unleaded petrol and low sulphur diesel, would offer great value for money in terms of ensuring the health of the engines and getting the best performance from vehicles.
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BSNL office shifted Chandigarh, November 9
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