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24 hurt
in mishaps Profiting
from crop diversification
Concern
over fate of repatriated Pak woman |
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Two-day remand in
murder case Insurance scheme for students, teachers Life
term for smuggling poppy Chautala's
resignation demanded SI held
in diamond smuggling case Rationalist
Society solves mystery Two die
as well caves in
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24 hurt in mishaps Sirsa, December 27 Haryana Roadways Bus of Sirsa depot was coming from Talwandi Sabo of Punjab to Sirsa with 40 passengers on board. As it neared Chachhatrian village of the district a spring of the bus reportedly broke and the bus went out of control running into a tree. Villagers shifted passengers into another bus which brought them to different hospitals. Four of the injured were admitted in the local civil hospital. In another accident near Kumthala village three persons namely Krishan, Vinod and Ram Krishan were injured as they were going to village Beharwala in a Maruti can that collided with a private bus. The injured were admitted in the local civil hospital. |
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Profiting from crop diversification PEONT (KARNAL): Mr Gurdial Singh Sandhu, a retired Deputy Director (Agriculture) of Haryana, has gradually reduced the wheat-paddy rotation in his 65-acre farm at Peont village. He has planted guava in 2.5 acres of land, 'chikkoo' in one acre, peas in three acres, potato in three acres, turnip & oats in two acres, especially for regular cattle fodder supply in the lean season, Egyptian glover (barseen) in three acres and hybrid tomatoes in two acres. In February, he will plant the latest quality of chillies and onions in at least six acres. He has also started a dairy farm with the assistance of the extension division of the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal, and has 10 Nili Ravi and murrah buffaloes, besides 15 crossbred cows. He has obtained the maximum milk yield from the cattle After retirement he experimented with different varieties of crops at his farm and finally went for multi-crop cultivation. He said he had earned even Rs 80,000 per acre by cultivating chillies. The average income from chilli cultivation was something between Rs 60,000 and Rs 80,000 per acre, depending upon the market. Similarly, by cultivating onions one could earn at least Rs 50,000 per acre. The income from peas and tomato cultivation was approximately around Rs 25,000 and Rs 40,000 per acre, respectively. Wheat or paddy had never given more than Rs 16,000 per acre even in the best conditions. The areas that had come under diversification were rich in soil fertility as compared to those where paddy was sown. Moreover, the expenditure earlier incurred on weedicides was also saved. He had kept the best crossbred cows and murrah and Nili Ravi buffaloes. he was using artificial insemination both in cows and buffaloes for producing an elite herd at his farm with NDRI assistance. The peak milk yield obtained by Mr Sandhu was 19 kg and 16 kg per day from Nili Ravi and murrah buffaloes, respectively. |
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Mosques that are legacy of Gen Yahya
Khan Jundla (Karnal):
Hindus and Muslims used to exchange gifts and celebrate Id-ul-Fitr in the mosques of this village before Independence in the presence of General Yahya Khan and Nawabzaada Liaquat Ali Khan. Now, with hardly any Muslim families left in the village, the religious festival passes away without any sign of celebration or prayers. Nawabzaada Liaquat Ali Khan, Nawab of Karnal who later became one of the top politicians of Pakistan, and General Yahya Khan, who became Pakistan’s military chief and President, and his family stayed at Jundla for at least three decades before Partition. There are four mosques in this village magnificently designed and built on raised platforms with small bricks and granite slates. They were built in the 1920s and 30s. One mosque has been converted into a gurdwara where regular recitals of Guru Granth Sahib are held and another into a temple devoted to Lord Krishna and Radha. When this correspondent visited the village, Jaswinder Singh, priest of the gurdwara, said Guru Granth Sahib had been placed in the mosque a few years after Partition. A postgraduate in arts, holder of commercial pilot’s licence and a postgraduate diploma in computers, Jaswinder Singh quit the job of a pilot in the Indian Air Force when his father died and started doing seva in the gurdwara. Earlier, his father Jaswant Singh used to recite Gurbani in this mosque-turned
gurdwara. According to residents of this village, General Yahya Khan laid the foundation stone of the mosque that has been converted into a gurdwara. Over the decades, parts of the building have crumbled. A few alterations and new construction have also been done in the mosque, ignoring its historical importance. The mosque has lost two minars, with hardly anyone to take care of the building. The other big mosque is a little different in its architecture, having tombs at the top. It also had four minars, none of which exist today. This mosque is the one converted into a temple. Regular prayers are offered in this mosque-turned temple too. There are two more mosques, one of which is in a desolate condition while the other was recently handed over to a Muslim family that migrated to this village a couple of years ago. All these mosques require renovation to preserve the legacy of the Muslim leaders. A few old residents of the village recall General Yahya Khan, saying, “He was a very learned and kind person, who often mixed with Hindu families during festivals and weddings.” Says seventy-five-year-old Bhagat Ram Gupta, a native of the village, “I met Liaquat Ali and Yahya Khan many times in the village during my days of youth. Both the Muslim leaders were highly educated and used to respect and love the villagers.” He recalls that Yahya Khan was the only person in the village who owned a bicycle in the 1940s. There was emotional binding among all villagers despite religious and cultural diversity. Yahya Khan used to live in a haveli adjoining a mosque. One member of his family was the Zaildaar of Jundla. Another old man, Hardial (78), remembers the days of Partition when his family came here from Bahadurwala village in Multan district. He says old residents of the village then used to say that the mosques were built some time in the 1920s and 30s and Yahya Khan, then a child, had laid the foundation stone of the biggest mosque. The legacy of these two famous leaders still stands, but needs care so that it continues to do so. It could be a lesson in secularism for the future generations, showing how Muslims and Hindus used to celebrate religious functions together. The District Magistrate of Karnal, Mr R.S. Doon, while not aware of the historical background of Jundla, has sought a detailed report on the present situation of historical mosques in this village. |
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Concern over fate of repatriated Pak woman Yamunanagar, December 27 Mr Sharma said Ms Shehnaz Parveen Akhtar, a resident of Bhimbhara village in Pak-occupied Kashmir, fed up from the atrocities committed by her family on her, jumped into the Neelam river, which divides PoK from Kashmir. She was rescued by the patrolling Indian Army in its area. She was arrested on the charges of crossing the line of control (LoC). She was lodged in the Poonch jail in 1995 for undergoing a sentence of one year. While in jail, she was raped by Jail Warden Mohamadeen and she became pregnant consequently. She gave birth to a female child named Mobin Kesar in 1996. The Kashmiri jail Warden has been facing trial before a court in Poonch since then. On release from the Poonch jail, the Pakistan authorities refused to accept Ms Shehnaz along with her Indian-born child Mobin Kesar. Ultimately with the intervention of the Pakistan Human Rights Commission both of them now were repatriated. Mr Sharma said he apprehended danger to the life of Ms Shehnaz on account of the wrath of Moulanas for giving birth to a child as a result of rape by a Kashmiri Jailer in Poonch jail. Under the law of Pakistan, a raped woman has to prove her innocence herself, otherwise the punishment is death in such a crime. If she could not prove her innocence and got death penalty what would be the fate of Mobin Kesar, Mr Sharma said, adding that in such an eventuality the Indian Human Rights Commission and its counterpart in Pakistan should play a vital role and come to their rescue. |
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Two-day remand in murder case Ambala, December 27 According to the FIR, he allegedly abducted a child, Ramandeep (10), from Ambala City, murdered him and the threw the body in a field. He had also allegedly demanded ransom from the mother of the victim. Rahish, who was in Ambala jail a few months ago, befriended a fellow prisoner, Jarnail Singh. After his release from the jail, he started visiting Jarnail’s house, where the latter’s wife Surjit Kaur, lived along with her son Randeep. On December 21, Rahish made a phone call to Surjit, asking her to bring her son with her when she came to meet her husband in the jail. The police report alleges that on December 22, when Surjit Kaur reached Ambala jail along with her son to see her husband, Rahish met her outside the jail. When she went to meet her husband, Rahish allegedly abducted her son. She reported the matter to the police. Later, she also complained that Rahish had demanded Rs 4.5 lakh from her on telephone to release Ramandeep. The police tapped the telephone of Rahish and then raided his house in Sarsawa, where he was arrested. During interrogation, Rahish allegedly told the police that he had strangled Ramandeep and thrown the body in a sugarcane field. The body was recovered from the field and a murder case was registered. Sodomy: The police has booked two youths of Ambala City on a charge of sodomising a 10-year-old child of Baldevnagar. The father of the victim lodged a complaint with Baldevnagar police station that Bholu and Sonu on Friday took his son to a toilet, where he was sodomised. A medical examination of the victim was conducted and the youths were arrested. |
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Insurance scheme for students, teachers Chandigarh, December 27 An official note said today that the scheme had been introduced in association with Oriental Insurance Company. It said in case of death, Rs 25,000 would be paid to the heir of the deceased. In case of complete disability, an equal amount would be paid to the affected person and in case of partial disability, Rs 12,500 would be given. In case of an accident, Rs 1,000 would be given as medical expenses and in case of loss of books in an accident, Rs 250 would be paid. The note added that Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas had been approved for Yamunanagar, Ambala and Sirsa districts. The schools would become functional in the next academic session. |
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Life term for smuggling poppy Kurukshetra, December 27 A police party raided the residence of Shingara Singh on March 14, 2000 when Shingara Singh and his accomplices were loading bags of poppy husk on a tractor-trolley. Shingara Singh was arrested and 72 bags of poppy husk were seized from him. His accomplices Balkaar Singh and Darshan Singh escaped. |
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Chautala's resignation demanded Hisar, December 27 He said Mr Chandra Swami recently threatened IAS officer Sanjeev Kumar, who had filed the complaint against Mr Chautala, and pressurised him to withdraw the case. This proved that Mr Chautal had close relations with Mr Chandra Swami. A fair probe was not possible if he remained in power he said. Mr Bishnoi alleged that the government was delaying the election of the president of the local Zila Parishad. The election should be held at the earliest, he said. |
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SI held in diamond
smuggling case Yamunanagar, December 27 Sub-Inspector Santosh Saxena, in charge, women’s cell, who was absconding for the past to days, was arrested yesterday from her official residence at the Pansra police complex, near here. The SP said she was hand in glove with the main accused, Satnam, who had already been arrested. Satnam had already presented diamonds to her and she used her influence to protect him. The SP said diamonds worth Rs 10 lakh had been recovered from a diamond shop in Chandigarh on a tip-off provided by Satnam. He said raids had been conducted at local jewellery shops and their owners had gone underground. He said diamonds worth Rs 16 lakh were still to be recovered. He said December on 14, the police had arrested Satnam and his two accomplices, Gurmit and Surinder Singh, from Yamunanagar. |
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Rationalist Society solves mystery Ambala, December 27 Sonu a 10-year-old student, would get patches of blood on the face, without any signs of injury. He started getting these patches earlier this month. He was taken to a local doctor, who failed to detect anything. Family members started visiting tantriks in the hope of finding a cure. In the meantime, members of the Rationalist Society of Haryana learnt about the incident. Mr Gurmeet Singh and Mr Harbilas of the society visited the family in Housing Board, Ambala City. Mr Gurmeet Singh said that the patches were due to neurosis stress, leading to conversion reaction, coupled with attention-seeking behaviour. “Apparently, Sonu did not want to go to school and without thinking, he would bite his inner cheek or tongue. Then, subconsciously, his blood-stained hand would brush across his face, causing the blood patches,” he said. “We have counselled the boy and he has started going to school,” Mr Gurmeet Singh said. “I would like to stress that people should not visit tantriks,” he added. |
Two die as well caves in Kaithal, December 27 According to reports Balwan , Sanjeev and Dalel Singh all residents of Barsana village were digging a tubewell pit in the farm of Sultan Singh for the past 10 days. After finishing the work , when they were trying to get out of the well with the help of a rope, one portion of the well wall fell on them. The persons working in the farm reached the spot and shouted for help. A large number of people gathered and rescued Dalel Singh. Mr Sanjay Rai SDM and Mr Gurbachan Singh Saini DSP reached the spot with a JCB machine .However the other two who were deep inside the pit and could not be rescued. Their bodies could be recovered with the help of JCB machines. |
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