Jalandhar, May 22
The issue of 27 per cent reservation announced by the Ministry of Human Resource and Development for the OBCs turned out to be the major issue during a massive rally of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) organised inside the district administrative complex here today.

Thousands of party supporters had otherwise converged to protest against the “anti-Dalit and anti-poor policies” of the ruling Congress party, but it turned out to be pro-quota with the party’s national General Secretary, Mr Narinder Kashyap, demanding its implementation in the country for the upliftment of the backward communities, which, he said, were deprived of other basic needs.

He alleged that the widespread agitations across the country had been started in the country at the behest of Congress leaders, who, he blamed, were playing gimmicks to garner the support of the underprivileged communities.

Mr Pawan Tinu, the party’s state general secretary, said that the government had also promised free power to the Dalits and had advertised about it with an “ulterior” motive to win over the vote bank. But soon this scheme, too, was withdrawn from a major chunk of beneficiaries by fixing conditions on its implementation, he added.

Expressing concern over the dwindling condition of farm labourer, he said they were provided only with a sack of wheat on discount. However, since the major quantity of wheat produce had been lifted by private players this time, the poor labourers would be deprived of this main component of their meal too, he claimed.

The demonstrators, who took part in the rally, came from hundreds of villages in the periphery of the district and from several small colonies of the city in scores of trucks forming small groups and finally converging to the main venue. The rally was attended by other prominent leaders, including Mr Avtar Singh Karimpuri, state president of the party.

Another rally was organised by Bahujan Samaj Party (Ambedkar) just in front of the administrative complex on the similar lines. The rally was addressed by Mr Devi Dass Nahar, party president, who said that such rallies would continue till the end of August. He claimed that most communities, including those of farmers, were unhappy with the ruling party and were now joining his party in large number. 

Phagwara, May 22
Bahujan Samaj Morcha (BSM) has strongly condemned the anti-reservation agitations by medical students and doctors, and described these as “politically-motivated”.

Talking to newsmen here this afternoon, BSM’s National President, Mr Satnam Singh Kainth, appealed to all political parties to leave their political differences behind and come forward for social justice.

He said, the upliftment of the poor, especially belonging to weaker sections, was the dire need of the hour.

Mr Kainth justified the proposals of Union Human Resource and Development Ministry to increase the quota of reservations for OBCs. He said that his party would organise a state-level dharna in support of the reservation on June 1 at Jalandhar.

Mr Kainth appealed to all state governments to implement the Reservation Act in a “transparent manner”.

“The BSM will emerge as a strong political party having the support of the poor and weaker sections in the coming Assembly elections, as now the era of coalition government has begun, and no single political party would be able to form the next state government in Punjab,” Mr Kainth claimed. — TNS

Jalandhar, May 22
Environmentalists, students and teachers today spared some time to share their thoughts on dwindling variety of flora and fauna, as they participated in the International Bio-diversity Day programme here today.

NGO Pahal organised a function this morning during which the participants forwarded a resolution to the State Wildlife Board for the conservation of wildlife in Punjab.

They gave suggestions and discussed regulations that they demanded must be enforced for the conservation of the bio-diversity.

The president of Pahal, Mr Lakhbir Singh, said, “The earth’s wealth is slipping away. As human populations are expanding and intensifying their use of land, wild species and their habitats are disappearing. Wild plants and animals are an important chain in the eco-system. As wildlife vanishes, our own life is impoverished, if not imperiled.”

A retired XEN from the Agriculture Department, Mr Baldev Singh, said that out of the total 80,000 types of plants known to be edible, only 150 were now being extensively cultivated.

He said that merely three crops, wheat, rice and corn, all of wild origin, constituted two-thirds of the world’s grain harvest.

A medicinal plant grower, Mr Gurbachan Singh, talked about the decrease in numbers of medicinal herbs.

An advocate, Mr Avtar Singh Kaler, stressed upon the enforcement of bio-diversity laws by the authorities.

A seminar on “bio-diversity” was also organised on the directions of the Punjab State Council for Science and Technology at Government Model Co-Education Secondary School, Ladowali Road, in which the students and teachers participated.

The participants stressed on the decrease in diversity in agricultural flora and desert varieties.

Uday Thakur won the first prize, followed by Abhinav.

The third prize went to Tamanna and Monika. The Principal, Ms Raj Kumari Saroa, distributed prizes to the winners. Mr B.K. Prashar and Mr Darshan Singh, leading the eco-club in the school, organised the event. 

Jalandhar, May 22
The representatives of the Punjab Christian Movement held a meeting at Lumba Pind here today during which they opposed the release of the film “The Vinci Code” in New Delhi and Haryana.

In a press note issued today, Mr Hamid Masih, state president, said he had appealed to the entire Christian fraternity in Punjab to join the protest.

He also alleged that the Central government had hurt the sentiments of the minority community by permitting the release of the movie.

The members added that the state government officials must intervene or else they would have to “face the consequences” in the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha polls. Mr Tarsem Masih, general secretary of the movement, also criticised the representatives of Catholic Church and former police commissioner, Mr Julio Ribeiro, for giving a clearance for the release of the movie. 

Chandigarh, May 22
The People for Animals (PFA), Haryana chapter, has filed a PIL in Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking directions to respondents to check the ongoing system of milch cattle being injected with oxytocin, a drug that leads to more milk production.

In its petition, filed through the chairman of the Haryana chapter, Mr Naresh Kumar Kadyan, the PFA has stated that oxytocin is a health hazard, both for animals as well as human beings and by injecting the same into the cattle in order to increase the milk yield, the various government agencies are only playing with the lives of the animals as well as the human beings.

The petitioner has claimed that on March 1, when he and some other persons visited the National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, they witnessed animals being injected the chemical and treated brutally. Even the method of extraction of milk was found to be highly brutal and caused a lot of pain to the animals, the petitioner has stated.

Following the visit, an FIR was registered on April 29.

The organisation has prayed that the investigation in the case be handed over to an independent agency.

It has also prayed that a direction be issued to check and control misuse of the harmful injection.

Today, the Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Mr Justice H.S. Bedi and Mr Justice R.S. Randhawa issued notice of motion to the respondents for August 17.

Kapurthala, May 22
A total of 4,893 cases were disposed of on the spot at Suvidha Camp held at Sidhwan Dona village here today.

In addition to issuing 510 learning driving licenses at the camp, 701 certificates of scheduled castes and 10 certificates of backward class were also issued, a press release issued here claimed.

The Food and Supply Department issued 250 new ration cards, while 12 duplicate ration cards were also issued.

The local MP Rana Gurjit Singh had inaugurated the camp. — TNS

Kapurthala, May 22
The Vigilance Bureau sleuths arrested Sulakhan Singh, an ASI with the Punjab police, on charges of accepting bribe from one Faqir Singh, a resident of Khngah village near Dhilwan, here today.

The complainant, Faqir Singh, was facing a trial in a fraud case registered against him by the Kapurthala police in 2004 in the local court. The ASI posted at Dhilwan was the investigating officer in the case.

Sulakhan Singh had allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 10,000 to favour Faqir Singh by promising to give evidence in his favour in the court, alleged the complainant. The deal was struck at Rs 5,000, Faqir Singh alleged.

The ASI had to appear today in the court regarding giving evidence in the said case.

Faqir Singh approached the Vigilance officials and the DSP, Dilbagh Singh, caught the ASI “red-handed” when he was reportedly accepting the money in a shop outside the district courts complex and arrested him.

The Vigilance Bureau has registered a case of corruption against Sulakhan Singh.