Amritsar, September 9
Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) national vice-president Poonam Mahajan, daughter of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, held the present Congress-led UPA government “the most corrupt dispensation” since Independence.

Addressing the “Congress Hatao Desh Bachao” (remove Congress and save country) rally at Katra Jai Mal Singh in the walled city, she said the coalgate was the recent most among the large number of scams which had come out during the Congress rule. She said financial irregularities during the Commonwealth Games and the 2G scam had deprived the country of millions of funds. She said these funds could have been used to ameliorate the sufferings of crores of Indians living under the curse of poverty.

She said a large number of scams and staggering amount of money involved in these were causing spiralling inflation in the country. She said a government mired in a number of scams did not have the energy, time and resources to chalk out plans for the development of the nation.

The BJYM is holding such rallies in various parts of the country under which six rallies were allotted to Punjab. Today was the fourth rally and the next will be held at Phagwara on September 20 and the last one will be held at Pathankot on September 30.

Earlier, members of the Punjab Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, led by its president Rajesh Honey, extended a warm welcome to Poonam Mahajan. They garlanded her and offered her a mace.

Amritsar, September 9
Come September 9 and the remote border area of the Khemkaran sector hogs limelight because of the supreme sacrifice made by Param Vir Chakra (PVC) awardee Abdul Hamid on this day in 1965 while fighting against the Pakistan army. The mausoleum of the hero of the battle of Asal Uttar, Abdul Hamid, is located here.

The 47th death anniversary of CQMH Abdul Hamid, Param Vir Chakra awardee (posthumous), was observed by Gurki Brigade under the aegis of the Golden Arrow Division at his memorial with solemnity today. The occasion was marked by a memorial service, including wreath-laying ceremony and a guard of honour at the resting place of the brave martyr.

Civil dignitaries, including area MLA Virsa Singh Valtoha, also laid wreaths. The ceremony concluded with the sounding of the last post by buglers and a two-minute silence in the memory of the martyr.

A medical camp was also organised at Asal Uttar village. Honouring the brave is an old Army tradition, which is also taken as an opportunity to draw inspiration from the sacrifices of various heroes. On this day, the Army leads the nation in saluting these gallant heroes.

However, residents of the village feel that the kind of development needed eluded them and people have to commute on dusty roads. A resident of Asal Uttar village, Gurmeet Singh, said the pace of growth had been slow in the area due to its being located close to the international border.

He said the village panchayat garnered enough amount to hold the fair in which matches of volleyball and kabaddi were held. He said an “akhand path” was organised in the village gurdwara. He recalled that there was a time when Chief Ministers and senior leaders of the opposition in the Assembly used to make it a point to pay their respects to the martyrs of the battle of Asal Uttar battle, which was a part of the 1965 Indo-Pak war, on this day.

Unfortunately, it is no longer the same. Sarbjit Singh, a resident of the village, says the functions became a low-key affair about seven years ago, when top leaders started abstaining from it.

The history

The battle of Asal Uttar entered the annals of history, especially military history, in the Independent India, for being the mother of tank battles and for the personal bravery of Indian soldier Company Quarter Master Abdul Hamid of 4th Battalion of Grenadiers Regiment. Honoured with the highest Indian gallantry award, Param Vir Chakra, Abdul Hamid had knocked down seven enemy tanks with a recoilless gun. Though under intense artillery shelling and tank fire, Abdul Hamid moved from one firing position to another and pulverised three Patton tanks of the enemy. However, while engaging the fourth tank, he was fatally wounded by an enemy shell. Abdul Hamid’s courage, disregard for personal safety and act of bravery, in the face of the enemy, was a shining example of the valour and high traditions of the Indian Army. Contrary to the awesome prestige of the Patton tank, the battle saw nearly hundreds of Pakistani tanks, majority of them Pattons, either being destroyed or abandoned, thus, earning the locale epithet of “Pattons’ Graveyard”. Interestingly, former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf had participated in the battle as a Lieutenant of Artillery. The 1965 war was regarded as a tactical Indian victory as Indian troops had flooded the area along the international border in the then district of Amritsar, following the capture of Khemkaran by the Pakistan forces. As per military history, the Pakistani forces were brought into a horse shoe formation. As many as 32 Indians tanks also got destroyed or damaged. The Indian troops were led by Maj-Gen Gurbaksh Singh while his Pakistani counterpart was Maj-Gen Nasir Ahmad Khan.

A health worker administers polio drops to a child in Amritsar on Sunday. Photo: Sameer Sehgal

Amritsar, September 9
On the first day of the Pulse Polio migratory round that started today, 45,464 children were administered drops by 606 teams constituted for the purpose. Civil Surgeon Dr Yash Mitra said 69,403 homes were covered during the drive on the first day. He said 42 per cent of the targeted children between the age group of 0-5 years were covered.

The drive would continue for two more days. Dr Mitra said the department had targeted to administer polio drops to 1,05,743 children in 1,58,458 households. He said the teams had visited all the areas where migratory labours were expected to be residing.

He requested the public to get their children immunised. “Even if they were immunised earlier or are ill, the immunisation is must. It is for their safety,” said Mitra.

Earlier, a cycle-rickshaw rally to create awareness on the immunisation drive was kicked off by Dr Mitra from the Civil Surgeon office. Others who accompanied him included Dr Rashmi Vij, Raj Kaur, Tripta Kumari and Anu Chawla.

Amritsar, September 9
City-based businessmen, importers and exporters have welcomed the announcement of the liberal visa regime envisaging easier group and business travel and flexible travel mode by the Indian and Pakistan Governments.

Raman Gupta, a businessman here, said External Affairs Minister SM Krishna and Interior Minister Rehman Malik had shown forsightedness in approving a more liberal visa regime.

He is of the view that Small Scale Industries (SSI) of Punjab will benefit immensely from the spurt in trade between India and Pakistan from the Attari-Wagah Joint check-post following the easy visa regime. He buttressed his point with the fact that the SSI units in the state had got advanced machinery and wherewithal to manufacture and deliver high-quality products. At present, the SSI units are finding it hard to develop their capacities as sales have reached stagnation point. He believes that the opening of a new market like Pakistan will open new channels.

He claims that Pakistan is in need of an industry partner as trade ties with China have not delivered the desired results. Pakistani traders could not overcome the barriers of language and distance between the two countries. Pakistan has two biggest trade centres in Karachi and Lahore. Lahore being closer to Amritsar with similar language and geographical condition offers advantage to Punjab, in general, and Amritsar, in particular.

He hailed the decision of directing the Indian and Pakistan missions to decide on an application within 45-day window. He said at present a lot of time was consumed awaiting the issuance of visa, while the applicant remains unaware of the status of his application.

Shawl trader and exporter PL Seth said, of late, Pakistan had realised and acknowledged the trade ties with its immediate neighbour India and it would offer tremendous trade opportunities to traders and manufacturers of both the countries. He said though the visas would continue to be city-specific, the extension of its reach from present three to five cities in one visit was a wise move. He anticipated that it would provide more elbow room to businessmen to contact their counterparts in various cities.

Another businessman Gaganjit Singh said that it consumes a lot of time to get paper work done for visa to travel to Pakistan. As per the norms of SAARC nations, a year-long visa is issued to industrialists at Rs 2.5 lakh to visit any nation under the conglomeration. However, the fee is too high as a majority of the industries in Punjab, especially in Amritsar, are SSI units. The industrialists here are more interested to trade with Pakistan for its locational advantage and easy visa regime would provide them the much-needed opportunity after setting up of the Integrated Check Post at Attari Wagah Joint Check-Post.

Folklore Research Academy, Khalra Mission Committee, Sain Mian Mir Foundation, Indian Chapter, also welcomed the easing of visa norms and felt that the move would help in maintaining cordial relations between the two countries.

Amritsar, September 9
“Gone are the days of the Maharajas who expect people to reward them for non-performance. People can well differentiate between doers and dramatists. They can comprehend well that Captain Amarinder Singh’s so-called rallies and dharnas were part of his ‘save the chair drive’, said Cabinet Minister Bikram Singh Majithia during his visit to the Majitha constituency today.

The minister said these Congress rallies laid bare the internal rifts in the Congress and instead of winning the confidence 
of people, they did the opposite.

Meeting people from 7 am to 5 pm in various villages of the constituency, the minister listened to grievances of residents. Taking note of infrastructural shortcomings, he even telephonically contacted the officers concerned. “I don't believe in promising the moon, I'm a very pragmatic person and I promise only what I can deliver," he said.

The minister travelled from Begewal to Taragarh, Rampura, Chandde, Bhaini Lidharh, Supariwind and Chawinda Devi. "Politics is a not a vacation. Being representative of the public, he needs to be among them personally to feel their pulse,” he added.

Amritsar, September 9
She wants to live like an ordinary woman. But her husband gives her the status of a goddess. But she doesn’t want to live as a goddess. She wants to live as a human being.

A simple story written by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore reflects on the women of every household. Expressing subtle yet deep emotions, a constant longing to live a life without the burden of expectations, the enactment of Tagore’s story “Drishtidaan” by Manch-Rangmanch’s team at Punjab Naatshala was a success.

Not just in terms of the footfall, but also in terms of theatrics. The story of a doctor and his blind wife, Kumu, was an emotional journey that celebrated everything that Tagore’s stories stand for. Taking the audience through a journey of dreams, the play’s female protagonist represents the emotions of any woman, who believes in love, dedication and truth. The character of Kumu, as of many women in Tagore’s works, is inspired by the women in his own household. When Kuku goes blind, her husband neglects her and falls in love with another younger girl. The play depicts her pathos and struggle to fight the constant humiliation at the hands of her husband and society.

The director of the play, Kewal Dhaliwal, said, “I chose Drishtidaan because Tagore’s women are strong to an unusual proportion even in comparison to women of today. As I read the newspaper every morning, I am reminded, on a daily basis, that somewhere some women are committing suicide as they cannot cope with the stress and the constant humiliation they face. The play is a dedication to all those women.”

Keeping the classic intact with its elements, Kewal improvised on the music of the play. “We added songs written by Surjit Patar, with Rabindranath Tagore’s poetry running in the background. Most of the music was kept modern, giving a nice blend with its classic storyline.”

The 1 hour and 15 minutes of play kept the audience spellbound, with strong performances from Manch Rangmanch actors. Its music was composed by Harinder Sohal. Amandeep Kaur, Sukhwinder Virk, Gurtej Maan, Sarabjit Ladha, Vishu Sharma, Jaswinder Jassi and Veerpal Kaur are cast in this play.