Ludhiana, August 14
Prominent orthopedic surgeon Dr YC Markan, a former director of the city’s ESIC Model Hospital, today tested positive for swine flu.

Dr Deepak Bhatia, state nodal officer for the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, said Markan was in home quarantine care where he was being administered the medicine for H1N1 infection. "Also, the rapid response team for swine flu has administered treatment to Markan’s family members and all others who came in contact with him during the past two days," Bhatia added.

After retiring from the ESIC Model Hospital Markan joined Christian Medical College & Hospital (CMCH).

Health officials confirmed this was not an "indigenous" case and suspect the doctor might have come in contact with a swine flu patient inside or outside the hospital.

At the same time, the officials pointed towards the reluctance on the part of the doctors to get a shot of preventive vaccine which, they said, had resulted in the deaths of a dozen doctors during last year's pandemic.

The Punjab health & family welfare department had sent stocks of Panenza (a preventive vaccine for H1N1 influenza) to the city but some doctors were said to have refused to take the shots.

Surprisingly, only 4,500 medical professionals from both government and privately run hospitals including Dayanand Medical College & Hospital, CMCH, SPS Apollo Hospital and Oswal Cancer Hospital had been given the Panenza vaccine by health officials.

Meanwhile, the health department has called upon all doctors at private hospitals to get themselves vaccinated against H1N1. Bhatia said staff deployed at all hospitals for dealing with the swine flu cases must get a shot of Panenza vaccine as, according to him, they were more susceptible to being infected.

Ludhiana, August 14
Misuse of social networking sites by schoolchildren led to a furore when following numerous complaints, authorities of the local DAV Public School were forced to warn their parents about the practice and direct them to immediately impose curbs on the Internet usage by their wards.

The matter came to light about three days ago when a schoolteacher found out that a few students were posting objectionable material on a social networking website and harassing their classmates.

Talking to The Tribune, RS Patiala, principal, DAV Public School, BRS Nagar, said: “Following the revelation, we conducted an in-depth probe with the help of the teacher.”

He added, “Shockingly, we found out the students were not only posting objectionable material on the profiles of their friends in the school and sending vulgar messages, that too, at odd hours; but a lot of them were also operating on various social networking websites using fake identities.”

“A few of them had even created fake profiles in the names of their classmates and were using these to circulate vulgar messages,” Patiala revealed.

He added that a few students were identified and summoned. “On being interrogated, four students, who were found to be indulging in such activities, were identified. Later, they confessed too,” the principal said.

Patiala said following the incident a large number of students came to him and said the practice had become a source of major harassment and embarrassment for them, especially girls. The authorities then sent SMSes to all parents directing them to restrict Internet access to their children.

The SMS read: “It has come to the notice of the school authorities that students are engaged in chatting and have created their own as well as fake IDs on various social networking websites. Don’t give your children independent access to computers/ Internet/ mobiles. If any student is found guilty of hurting the modesty of others, strict disciplinary action would be taken against them.”

Patiala remarked, “In case anyone is found doing this again, I will make sure that strict action is taken.” Meanwhile, the SMS has shocked the parents. They panicked on knowing that the children as young as 14 to 15 years of age were indulging in such a behaviour. Most of them were worried about their children being secretly indulging in such activities. However, the information was welcomed by a majority of them.

Ludhiana, August 14
In the latest development, CCTVs installed outside a few houses where the iron trader was murdered has grabbed images that could provide vital clues to the police in arresting the assailants.

A few unidentified assailants had shot Shiv Sharma, 38- year- old iron trader, dead in Dugri Phase- II on Thursday night. The trader was shot twice from the point blank range. While the first bullet hit his back, the second pierced Sharma’s chest. This ultimately led to his death.

According to the police, the images of two persons involved in the trader’s killing have been grabbed by the CCTVs installed outside these houses. Since these images aren’t clear the accused could not be easily identified.

“We have sent these footages in our special laboratory. We hope that experts will be able to extract the clear images of the accused. The CCTV footages will prove vital in identifying the accused,” said ADCP Sushil Kumar. Meanwhile, the victim’s cremation and the Independence Day celebrations have delayed the investigation.

Even today the police was busy in deployment of its personnel for the smooth conduct of the Independence Day function. Owners of these houses had informed the police about the images. The CCTVs installed outside these houses are night vision cameras, which could grab the images in low visibility as well.

Ludhiana, August 14
Despite the rejection of his anticipatory bail plea in a corruption case by a CBI court at Patiala today, Punjab Legislative Assembly Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon would unfurl the National Flag here tomorrow.

The rejection of the petition put the state machinery in a fix over the Independence Day function being addressed by him tomorrow. As soon as the news reached here this evening, senior local functionaries took up the matter with senior state officials. It was finally decided that he would unfurl the flag and address the gathering.

“The matter was discussed at the government level and a consensus was reached that he would be the chief guest tomorrow,” said Deputy Commissioner Rahul Tiwari. He added that according to legal opinion, Kahlon could not be arrested by the Punjab Police as the charge-sheet against him had been filed by the CBI. “The CBI is the only authority competent to arrest him. There is no situation that he can be arrested by the police at the function tomorrow, leaving the government embarrassed,” he said.

SS Aggarwal, Chief Secretary, talking to the Ludhiana Tribune over telephone, said as long as Kahlon was the Speaker of the Assembly, he could unfurl the flag and it did not matter whether his bail application was rejected or not.

Kahlon had applied for anticipatory bail in connection with the filing of a charge-sheet against him by the CBI over his alleged involvement in rigging the selection of 909 panchayat secretaries during the SAD-BJP government in 1997-2002. The application came up for hearing at Patiala today and was rejected.

Doraha, August 14
For the common man, ‘independence’ now seems a synonym for ‘slavery’. “Freedom is just a word. Even after 63 years, we are no better. The situation has taken a turn for the worse. If this is the end for which thousands sacrificed their lives, we should denounce such hollow celebrations. We should bow our heads in shame in the midst of falsehood, corruption, deceit, suppression, want and disease,” rued a freedom fighter.

“We seem to have reversed altogether the purpose for which our freedom fighters strove hard. The casteless, classless and equal society envisioned by them has been shattered. The big gulf between the haves and the have-nots is impossible to be bridged. Inflation has reached a high level, which is sure to lead to catastrophe, if things are allowed to go their way. When teeming millions are starving, or even dying, in their attempt to make both ends meet, does the flag-hoisting ceremony on every Republic Day and Independence Day or initiating development projects worth crores hold any good,” he stated.

“After 63 years, what have we got? The maturing of independence has added to our woes, misery, oppression and torment. Every year, we are provided with more and more rags to hide our bruised bodies. The disease, misery and squalor we live in is no better than the grave. The tall promises of successive governments have fallen flat miserably. The ever-increasing crime rate, especially among the younger generation, is the aftermath of degrees achieved, but promised jobs denied,” a teacher elaborated.

“The farming community has nothing to offer to or receive from the motherland. There was a time when land yielded us good revenue, but the callous attitude of subsequent governments and their total disregard for sons of the soil forced us into penury and, ultimately, suicide. Instead of Independence Day celebrations, we should mourn our disabilities and subsequent failure to achieve every target in its true sense,” he said.

“Mental suppression has added to the woes of the common man. It seems that the poem by Rabindranath Tagore, in which he had envisioned an India not broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls, would remain a distant dream. The financial, judicial, educational and social reforms by the British, though with purpose, could at least be termed as reforms. The deformed stage through which we are passing at present is sure to lead us to further annihilation and ruin,” said a history student.

“Frustration is writ large on the faces of agitators. Finding all doors closed to them, they are forced to go on the rampage and lay siege to whatever comes their way. Only a grand revolution can save our country from total annihilation,” said an unemployed youth.

Ludhiana, August 14
The repeated protests by various teachers’ unions have led to the cancelling of visit of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for the Independence Day function.

It would have been the fourth visit of the CM in the city during the I-Day function. Sources said frequent protests by the Elementary Teacher Training (ETT) Teachers Union, BEd Teachers Trust and Computer Teacher Union have led to the cancellation of the state-level function in the city.

The city has of late turned into a hot bed for all kind of protests due to its strategic location. Due to easy accessibility and transportation facility, the industrial town has become the favourite destination for the agitating organisation to launch their protest.

Sources said the ETT teachers were planning to disrupt the I-Day function and even told the State Jail and Tourism Minister Hira Singh Gabria about the plans during their recent meeting.

Sukhdeep Singh, president of the BEd Teachers Front, said: “We had planned to raise slogans during the I-Day function in Ludhiana, but unfortunately the state-level function would be organised in Ferozpore -- considered to be the stronghold of the CM.”

In the meantime, the intelligence agencies are also having talks with the teachers’ organisations and trying to convince them not to create any kind of disturbance during the I-Day function.

However, the city police is in denial mode and refused to comment on this issue.

Ludhiana, August 14
The city police has beefed up security following threats by terrorist organisations to disrupt Independence Day celebrations. Barricades have been erected and several key locations and all vehicle entering the city are being thoroughly frisked.

Police Commissioner Ishwar Singh held a meeting with all police officials of the city today to ensure the smooth conduct of the Independence Day function. Besides conducting a search at busy market places, the police checked the bus stand and the railway station.

Security in front of shopping malls and cinema halls was tightened. Door-frame metal detectors were installed at various private establishments.

The police also conducted a search at the district courts complex. Luggage and bags of persons suspected were frisked.

Ludhiana, August 14
Monkeys have been creating nuisance in residential areas of the city lately. The recent incident wherein a monkey wandered into the Tajpur dairy complex brought to the fore the lackadaisical attitude of the district forest department.

After coming across the monkey a few days ago, residents of the Tajpur road tied it to a tree near the Tajpur dairy complex. They called up a district forest official to take away the simian and release it safely in the wild. However, the department officials have failed to turn up so far.

“While the monkey poses a threat to residents, chaining it to a tree amounts to cruelty toward animals,” said Jaipal Singh, a resident.

District forest officer DS Brar said if people had caught hold of the animal, they should have taken the responsibility of releasing it in the forest, too. “I will ask the range officer to get in touch with the residents concerned and help release the animal,” the DFO said.

Ludhiana, August 14
Two students of local Jesus Sacred Heart School, South City branch, brought laurels to their school as well as the country as they finished among medal winners in the International Thai Boxing Championship organised by the Thai Boxing Federation in Thailand, recently.

School principal Anju Banga said Pritpal and Shivam, students of VIII class, were members of the Indian contingent that competed in the meet in which participants from all over the world took part and won gold and silver medals, respectively.

Pritpal clinched gold in the under-40-45kg category, while Shivam bagged silver in the open category and on the basis of their performance in the meet they were selected for a training camp to be held in Malaysia.

Both also received scholarships for three months’ training in the US.

School chairperson Amarjit Kaur Sehgal appreciated the students’ performance.