B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Congress MLA held in tug of war with Akalis over kabaddi tournament
Faridkot, September 23
The two-week-old political tug of war between the Akalis and the Congress over the organisation of a sports event in Faridkot today further intensified with the arrest of some senior Congress leaders, including a sitting MLA on the charge of breaching peace.

Zila Parishad chairperson unanimously elected
Fazilka, September 23
Sukhmandeep Kaur has been unanimously elected as chairperson of Zila Parishad, Fazilka. Entire election process was supervised by additional deputy commissioner, Charandev Singh Maan. Sukhmandeep Kaur is daughter-in-law of senior SAD leader and former chairman of market committee, Jalalabad, Davinder Singh Babbal. She represents Ladhuwala Uttar Zila Parishad zone of Jalalabad subdivision.

Baba Farid Mela concludes 
Faridkot, September 23
Treading on the path of honesty in the present times is a difficult task. Besides being righteous in public and private life, honesty demands that one should be courageous. This observation was made by Mahant Kahan Singh, the head of Tikana Bhai Jagta Ji Sahib and members of Gurudwara Tila Baba Farid Society today at the time of presenting Baba Farid Award for Honesty and Service of Humanity to senior police officer, Mandeep Singh Sidhu, Dr Ashwani Kumar and HS Phoolka, a senior advocate in Supreme Court.

Congress MLA held in tug of war with Akalis over kabaddi tournament
Balwant Garg/TNS

Faridkot, September 23
The two-week-old political tug of war between the Akalis and the Congress over the organisation of a sports event in Faridkot today further intensified with the arrest of some senior Congress leaders, including a sitting MLA on the charge of breaching peace.

The Faridkot police arrested Joginder Singh, Congress MLA from Jaitu and Kushaldeep Dhillon, general secretary, Punjab Congress along with 30 other Congress workers when they were marching towards Dhimanwali village to inaugurate an annual sports event.

After arresting these Congress leaders, the police took them to Sadiq police station and put them behind the bars. The police were apprehensive that these leaders and Congress workers would create problems during the visit of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal to Faridkot today. The Deputy CM was in Faridkot to preside over some cultural programmes on the concluding day of the annual Baba Farid Festival.

But arresting these leaders ruffled the Congress feathers and many senior Congress leaders including many sitting and former MLAs reached Faridkot and started a dharna in front of the police station at Faridkot, demanding the release of the arrested leaders.

The police were caught in a difficult situation with the dharna was being held at the same time as Sukhbir was in town, presiding over a programme.

As the Congress leaders sitting on dharna were adamant on their demand for releasing their leaders detained at Sadiq police station, sensing more trouble, the police rounded up the protesting leaders, including Gidderbaha MLA Raja Warring, Ajaib Singh Bhatti and former MLA Darshan Singh Brar.

Later in the evening, the police released Raja Warring and other Congress leaders but Joginder Singh, Kushaldeep Dhillon and 30 other Congress workers were still in police lock-up at Sadiq.

Partap Singh Bajwa, PPCC president, in his statement, said the party has taken a serious note of the incident. Demanding the immediate release of Congress leaders, he said the Congress will start an agitation against the unlawful detention of party leaders and workers.

The stand-off between the Akalis and Congress over a sports event in Dhimanwali started some days back when two clubs, supported by Akalis and Congresses, decided to hold separate kabaddi tournament in two parts on September 23,24 and 25 and September 26,27 and 28. While the Congress supported club invited PPCC president Partap Singh Bajwa at the closing ceremony on September 25, the other club invited Sukhbir Badal on September 28.

However, the Congress leaders alleged that the Akalis were not allowing them to hold the tournament and even registered a criminal case against six members of their club. In a defiant mood, the Congress leaders today moved toward Dhimanwali village to inaugurate the tournament supported by them but were arrested by the police for breaching peace.

SSP said police has taken preventive steps to maintain law and order so that there is no disturbance.

Zila Parishad chairperson unanimously elected
Our Correspondent

Fazilka, September 23
Sukhmandeep Kaur has been unanimously elected as chairperson of Zila Parishad, Fazilka. Entire election process was supervised by additional deputy commissioner, Charandev Singh Maan. Sukhmandeep Kaur is daughter-in-law of senior SAD leader and former chairman of market committee, Jalalabad, Davinder Singh Babbal. She represents Ladhuwala Uttar Zila Parishad zone of Jalalabad subdivision.

Similarly Karnail Singh has also been unanimously elected as vice-chairman of Zila Parishad. Notably, posts of chairperson and vice chairman have been reserved for woman (general) category and schedule caste category, respectively.

Baba Farid Mela concludes 
Principles and values should dictate our morality, say Baba Farid awardees 
Balwant Garg/TNS

Faridkot, September 23
Treading on the path of honesty in the present times is a difficult task. Besides being righteous in public and private life, honesty demands that one should be courageous. This observation was made by Mahant Kahan Singh, the head of Tikana Bhai Jagta Ji Sahib and members of Gurudwara Tila Baba Farid Society today at the time of presenting Baba Farid Award for Honesty and Service of Humanity to senior police officer, Mandeep Singh Sidhu, Dr Ashwani Kumar and HS Phoolka, a senior advocate in Supreme Court.

Today was the concluding day of the state-level festival in memory of the great Sufi saint Baba Sheikh Farid.

Presenting a cash award of Rs one lakh, a shawla and a citation to Mandeep Singh, Dr Ashwani and HS Phoolka at Gurdwara Godri Sahib, Mahant Kahan Singh and members of the society said they felt proud in honouring a police officer for his honesty, a doctor for his generous service to humanity and an advocate for his unflinching fight for the victims of 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi.

“Honesty is more circumstantial than intrinsic. Most of us are honest most of the time and dishonesty does not come naturally to us. We do feel that twinge of conscience when straying from the path of integrity,” said Inderjeet Singh Sekhon, the president of Tila Baba Farid Society,

“It is pathetic that we are honest for fear of being caught. Rather, it should be the principles and values that dictate our morality, not the fear,” said Mandeep Singh in his address on the occasion.

“Honesty is therapeutic. It does make us happy with the knowledge of not having strayed. That feeling of satisfaction is more precious than any benefit and these little joys are the small collectibles of life, the things that matter, the things that endure,” said Dr Ashwani Kumar, whose daughter is also a medical student at Safdarjung Medical College, New Delhi.

In his address, advocate HS Phoolka sought the help of the Indian diaspora to trace Alam Singh, one of the prime witnesses in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Alam Singh, a resident of Modesto in California, USA, has been missing for some time and we need to record his statement as witness with the CBI to the accused in the 1984 carnage punished, said Phoolka, the advocate for the victims affected by the riots.

October 9 is the next date fixed for hearing in the 1984 riots case after a sessions court in April this year reopened the case. “We appeal to the Indian Diaspora to help us in tracing Alam Singh for his valuable statement to nail down the culprits,” he said.