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Aged paralytic, son-in-law, daughter
found stabbed to death
Dummy finance company busted
SOS India offers help to tsunami-hit
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Delhi govt call to donate one-day salary
Parents on the war path against private schools
A farce that passes for a school
MCD fact file makes pathetic reading
Gurgaon caught in crime spiral
Cold wave deaths are preventable
Mercury dips, but sunshine adds warmth
Workshop on classical knowledge
Nirankari Baba Hardev Singhji, Mata Sawinder and Rajmata Kulwant Kaur being led to the Samagam to celebrate Bhakti Parv in the Capital.
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Aged paralytic, son-in-law, daughter
found
New Delhi, December 27 The victims have been identified as B L Dhawan (70), his daughter Rita Sharma (42) and her husband Sudharshan K Sharma (45). A domestic help, Ravinder Naik (32), who was residing in the household to assist an ailing Dhawan, is absconding ever since the incident took place. The house had been found ransacked and the police are working out the details of valuables missing in the house. The incident came to light at around 1000 hrs when the domestic help, Meera, reported for work. When she entered the house, she found Dhawan lying dead on the floor with stab wounds and both Rita and Sudharshan lying dead in the bedroom. The police said that at the time of incident the couple’s son, Pulkhit (13), who is studying in Class eight in the St Market Senior Secondary School in Prashant Vihar, was away to his aunt’s house in Paschim Vihar. While Rita is a teacher in Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya in Prashant Vihar, Sudharshan had taken voluntary retirement from the UCO bank recently. The family had been staying in the house since 1995 and Dhawan was staying with his younger daughter who resides n Paschim Vihar. Since he was suffering from a paralytic attack, Rita had brought him home four months ago and employed Ravinder Naik to look after him. The police have questioned a few neighbours in the area about the activities of Naik and launched a hunt. The incident has created considerable panic in the residential colony.
Good Samaritan killed in melee
Two unidentified assailants fired at a person last night in Janakpuri area after snatching a bag containing some keys. The injured person, Ganesh Pradhan, who is employed as a peon in a local school, was rushed to a local hospital; however, he succumbed to his injuries in a local hospital this morning. The incident took place last night near the house of one R K Gupta, a businessman dealing with electrical goods. Gupta runs two shops, one in the district centre and another in near the B-block market in Janakpuri. Last night, Gupta’s manager Surinder gave a bag containing keys to his colleague Devashish and asked him to keep the bag inside Gupta’s house. At this point, two persons, who were waiting on a motorcycle, snatched the bag from Devashish and tried to escape. When Devashish raised the alarm, Gupta’s next door neighbour, Ganesh Pradhan, who was talking to his friend Anil, intervened and tried to overpower the two assailants. In the melee, one of the assailants whipped out a country made weapon and fired at Pradhan and fled the scene. The police have registered a case of murder-cum-robbery; further investigations are on. Pradhan’s family members told the police that it was his wife’s birthday and they were celebrating the occasion.
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Dummy finance company busted
New Delhi, December 27 The police nabbed the accused in Vivek Vihar in east district yesterday. The accused would open a finance office in a fake name and heavily advertise in the neighbouring areas, claiming to be authorized agents of the State Trading Corporation of India and NRIs. The accused and his accomplices would insist on an advance payment of Rs. 5000 to obtain a sanctioned loan of Rs. 1,00,000. After collecting the advance amount they would move out of the area and open another dummy office at another place. During interrogation, the accused named his other associates as Rajesh Goel, Raj Kumar, Sanjay, A. Anand and Bhardwaj. Their latest office was located in Azadpur area at Balaji House. The accused also disclosed that he had cheated one Dhrampal of a whopping Rs. 22 lakh. Dharampal wanted to open an amusement park and had applied for a loan of Rs 4.5 crore. The accused had collected Rs 22 lakh as his commission in advance and disappeared overnight. The police said that the matter came to light after one of the officials of the State Trading Corporation complained to the Economic Offence Wing of Delhi Police about the malpractice.
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SOS India offers help to tsunami-hit
New Delhi, December 27 Special teams have been formed to move to Nagapattanam and Cuddalore. Those teams will also offer counselling to children affected by the
tsunami and their families. The NGO said that special relief camps would be set up for the children of the families who have lost their means of earning a livelihood. It has offered to provide shelter to the affected children in the SOS Children’s Village in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, and the SOS Children’s Village in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
CBCI condoles deaths
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) has condoled the deaths due to earthquake and
tsunami in the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Orissa and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The CBCI said that it stands united in spirit with all those who have suffered in this tragedy and offered its sympathies and support to them in their hour of grief. In a statement released to media, the highest body of Catholic Church in the country said that the churches had been turned into temporary shelters for the needy.
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Delhi govt call to donate one-day salary
New Delhi, December 27 Taking an initiative, the Lt. Governor B L Joshi has also contributed his one-month salary to the Relief Fund to be utilized as aid to the Tsunami-affected people, said a release from the Raj Niwas. Lt. Governor has also asked the Chief Secretary to coordinate with the Union Cabinet Secretary and the Home Secretary in sending medical teams and other supplies to the affected areas earliest. Joshi has desired that Delhi Government should promptly respond by rushing aid to the affected states and Union Territories after ascertaining their needs, the release said.
Martyrdom Day observed
To commemorate the 300th Martyrdom anniversary of the Sahibzadas of Guru Gobind Singh, a huge congregation participated in the special
prayers organised at Gurdwara Mata Sundariji. The programme began with recitation of Sukhmani Shabib and Nitnem. Ragi Jathas performed the Asa di Var and Kirtan. The two Sahibzadas of Guru Gobind Singh, Baba Jhujar Singh and Baba Ajit Singh, had achieved martyrdom in the battlefield at Chamkor. A langar was also organised on the occasion of the anniversary
today. — TNS
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Parents on the war path against private schools
Faridabad, December 27 In fact, the Haryana Abhibhawak Ekta Manch — a
parentss’ pressure group — has decided to launch a stir to pressurise the state government and the CBSE to implement the rules and regulations, to curb various malpractices and to improve the standard of education.. In its first meeting held here on Saturday, the manch, which has decided to set up units in all districts of the state, raised its demand of implementing the Haryana Schools Education Policy – 2003 and taking action against schools which are flouting the rules. Mr O. P. Sharma, advocate, who was elected the first president of the manch, said that those schools which are not following the guidelines, have no right to function and ought to be closed down, as these could be playing with the educational career of thousands of students in state. In a resolution adopted at the meeting, the members of the manch asked the political parties to clarify their stand on the issue before the elections. It said that the government would have to bring some drastic steps to effect the required changes and claimed that it is not possible till the commercialisation of the education sector is not stopped. The privatisation should not have an adverse affect on education, which is the basic right of every child, a member of the manch said. In the meeting, the members of the manch also discussed the manner in which the private school education had shot into prominence and the standard of education had gone down in government-owned schools. Education was the last thing on the agenda for most political parties and the governments in power, said a member of the manch. Demanding enhanced budgets for this sector at both the Centre and the state, the manch asked the government to set up regulatory and monitoring bodies involving some NGOs and parents associations to check the misuse and ensure proper use of funds. Seeking the withdrawal of the policy of ‘rationalisation’ implemented by the state government, the participants in the meeting asked the authorities concerned to appoint more teachers in the government schools and make them accountable for the result. Assailing the government’s move to involve the government school teachers in programmes like pulse polio drive, voter-listing, ration cards and schemes like mid-day meal, the manch resolved to demand a stop to such a practice so that studies do not suffer. According to the members of the manch, this was one reason why private schools had been attracting more students and these schools were taking undue advantage of that. The CBSE and the state education department should seriously regulate and channelise private school education, so that it do not get out of reach of the common man. Mr Ashok Aggarwal, president of the Akhil Bhartiya Abhibhawak Ekta Manch, Mr Kailash Sharma, general secretary of the Haryana unit, Mr R. C. Rao, Prof Devender Singh and Mr Hanuman Singh of the government teachers union were among others who spoke on the occasion.
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A farce that passes for a school
New Delhi, December 27 The solitary school in the North West of Delhi has about 3,000 children in each shift on its rolls. The school itself has just six classrooms of which one is being used for storing purposes. In these dingy classrooms close to 120 children vie for attention as harried teachers attempt to deliver the day’s lecture. Some students queue outside the classroom — not on account of punishment though – and strain their ears trying to catch a few words should the teacher’s voice carry that far. There is no toilet block for the children, no portable water for drinking and most other amenities are missing in the dilapidated building that masquerades as a school. Repeated requests from the parents and the Gram Sabha, which had incidentally provided land to the Delhi Government for the school, have not yielded results. Nor have requests made to the Chief Minister, MCD Commissioner and the Director of Education. Students continue to suffer in silence, this when tall claims about commitment to enrol children in schools and provide them quality education are being made almost everyday. “In the absence of schooling facilities in this area, thousands of children have to go to schools in far off areas. The fear of fatal accidents, which is grounded in a few such cases in the past, has prompted many children to quit school. According to our statistics, there are at least 30,000 students out of school in Mukundpur”, claimed Ashok Agarwal of the Social Jurists. Refuting the government’s claims of “bringing one lakh children in mainstream education”, he says: “If you were to look at only the Bhalaswa-Jahangirpuri area, there are at least one lakh children engaged as labour in agriculture and ragpicking”. When The Tribune sought an answer to what can easily be dubbed the MCD’s “neglect”, an official in the MCD said, “Instructions have been issued to the concerned department to immediately find a suitable location for the construction of a new school in the area and also to upgrade the existing school to a three-storey building”. “One only hopes that it is not just another New Year resolution that the MCD fails to keep”, a sceptical Agarwal said in response to the assurance.
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MCD fact file makes pathetic reading
New Delhi, December 27 He said that students studying in MCD schools come from the poor strata. It is, therefore, all the more necessary that MCD should provide basic civic amenities to students. The condition of MCD schools was deplorable. At many places, the schools were without proper flooring, doors, windows and desks. The chilly wind is a ready intruder and a constant companion. Many schools do not have black boards. In many places, there are no toilets. At some places where there are toilets, there is no water or sanitation facility. Many schools do not have an electricity connection. Giving details, he said that there were 281 schools without any drinking water facility. Toilet blocks are closed in 73 schools and 115 schools have clogged sewers. Toilet blocks in 165 schools needs repair, 137 schools do not have a water connection to clean the toilets. Bad sanitation directly impinges upon the hygiene and health of the students studying in the schools. Besides, 142 schools do not have black boards, 355 schools do not have doors and windows. Electricity connections or repairs are required in 150 schools. Seventy-four schools do not have bulbs. Without these facilities, how can students study in winter and that too without basic facilities and infrastructure. He demanded that the Mayor, the Chairman of the Standing Committee and the Leader of the House should resign from their posts on moral grounds.
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Gurgaon caught in crime spiral
Gurgaon, December 27 In 2003, 59 murders were committed whereas in 2004 during the same period there were 65 murders in the district. There were 41 incidents of robbery and dacoity last year compared to 46 incidents this year. There were 258 incidents of theft in the current year compared to 223 last year in the district, in which goods and cash worth more than Rs two crore had been stolen. In most of these cases, immigrants were found to be involved, said the officer. Several steps taken by the police to check rash driving have yielded fruitful results in the district. In the current year, there has been a 20 per cent fall in cases of rash driving. However, incidents of rape have come down from 43 last year to 36 in the current. In most of these cases, a close relative or a known person had been found to be involved. Mr Roy revealed that in 90 per cent of the rape cases, 36 were committed in Mewat area of the district. The incidents of kidnapping and abduction had also increased from 18 to 20 in the current year. However, in all these kidnapping and abduction cases, money or extortion was not found to be involved. These incidents were committed for other reasons, said the SSP. Mrs Shakuntla Yadav, In-charge, Crime Against Women Cell, Gurgaon, informed that the women community was now more aware of its rights. Women, belonging to rural areas, are coming forwards to complain against the injustice done to them by their husbands and families.
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Cold wave deaths are preventable
New Delhi, December 27 This was stated by the President, Heart Care Foundation of India, Dr K. K. Aggarwal, in a public discussion organised at Kotla Mubarakpur slums during Jatha held under Year of Scientific Awareness. The do’s and don’ts are released in view of Northern India showing a peak in the cold temperature. Dr Aggarwal said that deaths are common in extremes of ages, which includes children less than five years and people above 65 years of age. Sudden exposure to cold should be avoided to prevent sudden exposure one should either wear monkey cap or put cotton in the ears and the nose to prevent cold exposure to the sensitive areas of the body. One should not walk bare-footed on a cold ground. Wherever possible one should wear gloves to prevent exposure of the hands to extreme cold and use mufflers to cover the neck. One should avoid eating and drinking frozen ice based cold products. Drinking hot cup of tea or coffee, if not contraindicated, is advised at this time of the year. One should not smoke to warm up the body. Smoking in this season can be dangerous and can precipitate sudden cardiac death including heart attack and paralysis. One should not take alcohol to prevent from shivering. One should avoid driving in this time of the year when there is fogging prevent accidental death. If a person has acquired hypothermia (temperature below 96) one should rely only rectal temperature and not on oral or armpit temperature. If the temperature is low and the person is shivering it means the person is not that serious. If the temperature is low and the shivering is absent it means a medical emergency and signifies failure of body’s defense mechanism to combat shivering. No patient should be declared dead if the body temperature is low. Attempts should be made to bring the temperature back and with cardio pulmonary resuscitation the person can then be revived. There are instances on record when patients have been revived after eight hours of cold death.
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Mercury dips, but sunshine adds warmth
New Delhi, December 27
The weather office said the minimum temperature today was recorded one degree below normal at 5.7 degree Celsius. Fog continued to affect rail and air traffic and forced motorists in the Capital to drive at snail’s pace. Today’s dip in the temperature is being attributed to the cold North Westerly winds and clear skies. The maximum temperature too has plummeted three degrees below normal to 18.7 degree Celsius. However, the Met official said the present conditions could not be termed as a cold wave as temperatures were likely to go up by about a degree in the next few days.
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Workshop on classical knowledge
New Delhi, December 27 The call came at the opening of the workshop on ‘Creating of Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL)’ in the countries that are members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The two-day event will cover legal and other protection and classification of traditional knowledge, protections applicable to different areas of such knowledge, evolving TKDL policy for SAARC nations and building capacity for creating such libraries. In his presidential address, Human Resource Development Ministry Additional Secretary Sudeep Banerjee said SAARC countries had a great deal of common interest, common knowledge and common concern. It is important “for us to save” our traditional knowledge through collective wisdom, Mr Banerjee, who looks after the Secondary and Higher Education Department, said.
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Smoothen your rough edges
New Delhi, December 27 This was observed here by the head of the Sant Nirankari Mission, Baba Jagdev Singh Ji Maharaj, while addressing a huge gathering at the Bhakti Parav Samagam. A large number of devotees from Delhi and adjoining states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh participated in the one-day Samagam. The Samagam was celebrated by the mission in memory of those who express their devotion to God through sewa or service to mankind. He said that devotion to God was not a one-day affair. A true devotee spends each and every moment of his life in the devotion of God. He also maintained that devotion is not just performance of rites and rituals. It is rather the state of mind of an individual. Rites and rituals that are performed without obtaining God’s sanction remain futile and add only to once ego. Speaking on the occasion, Nirankari Rajmatata Kulwant Kaur Ji said that devotion brings feelings of love, humility and peace. Since devotion starts only with the realization of God Nirankar, the true devotee becomes free from the cycle of births and deaths.
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