Jalandhar, April 14
Unlike yesteryear, when the elections used to bring colour and zest to the city with political parties using all the colourful material during their election campaigns, party offices bustling with the activities of supporters and other hullaballoo pertaining to elections, nowadays technology has taken away their sheen.

On a visit to various party offices on Monday, not many supporters were found there and instead of the usual bustling of sound, the staff was found either hooked to their hi-tech mobile phones or tabs or busy on their personal computers with their fingers tapping the keyboards at an unmatched speed.

"With the arrival of the technology, everybody now gets information on their communication gadgets like phones, computers or tabs. Like yesteryear, no need is felt to approach the party office to gain information about the poll activities. We inform our supporters about the campaign programmes well in advance through Whats App or on their emails and all of them reach the campaign venue directly," said Charanjiv Singh Lali, media in-charge, Shiromani Akali Dal. He also informed that technology nowadays has changed the whole scenario of media campaigning as well. "Earlier, the candidates used to hold press conferences on a day to day basis to inform the people about their achievements and the details of election campaign. But now, with e-mails just a click away, the tradition has faded completely and it is now left only for the visit of the senior party leaders or star campaigners," said Lali.

Also, the party offices were found to be sans colourful campaign material that used to be a 'must' during elections in the older days.

More shockingly, besides the big hoardings hanging outside the outer wall of the Akali Dal office, not even a single photograph of Parkash Singh Badal, the Chief Minister of Punjab or Narendra Modi, the best bet of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the present Lok Sabha elections were found to be inside the reception room of the party office. Most of the staff was seen engrossed with their eyes hooked on to their computer screen most of the time.

Similarly, at the Congress Bhawan, except for a few staff members, none of the supporters were found at the venue. At the residence-cum- party office of Chaudhary Santokh Singh, Congress candidate from Jalandhar (reserved) constituency, some people were indeed found but without the usual hoopla and ‘election tamasha’.

"We cannot do anything. The guidelines issued by the ECI this time are far more stringent than the earlier elections. Without creating much hullabaloo, our campaigning is restricted only to personal contact programmes with the voters," said Varinder Sharma, media in- charge of Congress party at Jalandhar. Only a small string of the party flag from yesteryear was seen hanging along with two replicas of the National Flag on the outer boundary wall of the house of the Congress candidate.

"Presently, the election campaigns are without the usual fervour and colour but will now definitely gain momentum with each passing day. Most of the parties campaign only during the last phase of their campaigning to avoid any confrontation or ban by the ECI. This time too, there will be the usual pomp and show that will be witnessed by the whole city," said Surjeet Singh, a retired government employee.

With only 15 days left for the final countdown, people seem to have been losing hope of witnessing any poll zing in the coming days. However, whether any of the 25 contestants step ahead and come out with an innovative colourful campaign plan to woo voters by restricting themselves within the ECI guidelines, is yet to be seen.

Jalandhar, April 14
After the completion of the nomination process last week and polling just two weeks away, the candidates of various political parties have now entered a more aggressive phase of campaigning.

The candidates have been touring the city and its periphery daily, going from village to village holding its set of programmes for a mass contact. Even the advertisement war has become more louder.

After the first big round of SAD-BJP advertisement campaign in the city, the alliance has headed for another phase with the old set of hoardings replacing the new ones. While the earlier ones focused more on welfare schemes introduced in the state with pictures of the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal, the new one primarily centres around the BJP's flagship slogan “Ab ki baar Modi sarkar”.

Covering the city's most important unipole points, the hoardings read, “Door bhagao bhrishtachar, Ab ki baar Modi sarkar (meaning Get rid of corruption, this time bring Modi government)." Another one in English reads, "No more divisive politics. Only Progress — Narendra Modi". Similar hoardings in Hindi and Punjabi are also seen around.

Even the hoardings of Congress with Rahul's picture and a logo 'Har haath shakti, har haath tarakki' can also be seen but in fewer locations. There, however, are very few hoardings of the party candidates themselves in the city which just hang around their party offices or their residences. The AAP candidate has chosen to campaign by pasting posters on the autorickshaws.

Asked as to why there were fewer photos of candidates seen around, the campaign staff of SAD nominee Pawan Kumar Tinu said, "The guidelines of the Election Commission of India (ECI) are so strict on ensuring that there is no defacement and limit to poll expenditure. We have been told not to indulge in any violation and to go slow on the poll expenditure."

Jalandhar, April 14
Hundreds of devotees on Monday thronged various gurudwaras to mark Baisakhi that was celebrated with great fervour and enthusiasm in the whole district.

The festival commemorates the establishment of the 'Khalsa Panth' on April 13, 1699. It also relates to the start of the season in which wheat is harvested in north India.

Besides offering payers, some also organised community kitchens in various parts of the city. Many Akhand Paths and religious samagams were held at various places. Keeping in view the heavy rush of the devotees, the district administration had made elaborate security arrangements in the city.

On this occasion, the important ritual of 'Amrit Sanchar' was also performed in various gurudwaras wherein many people were baptised. The historical facts related to the creation of the order of the Khalsa on March 30, 1699, by Guru Gobind Singh were also remembered and recited.

The day is very important for the Sikh religion which was founded on this day. Guru Govind Singh, the 10th Guru of the Sikhs, and his disciples took their pledge on this day. The ritual of wearing kara (arm band), kachcha (inner wear), kirpan (weapon), kangha (comb) and kesh (long hair) also started on Baisakhi. However, for the others, Baisakhi is the beginning of the New Year. It is also the time for harvest in Punjab. Unfortunately, this was also the day when the infamous Jallianwala Bagh incident took place in Amritsar. 

Jalandhar April 14
Although the open drains are present only in a few localities in the city, due to the slow pace of work on laying sewerage pipes, residents living in these localities are forced to live in unhygienic conditions. Residents are now demanding that politicians should sort out the issue of open drains on a priority basis if they want them to vote in their favour. Residents were of the view that politicians should understand that unless they are willing to improve the civic amenities in these localities, they have no right to demand votes.

Jalandhar, April 14
With Lok Sabha polls just 15 days away, the candidates of various political parties today made a beeline for garlanding the statue of Dr BR Ambedkar on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti here.

Even as SAD nominee Pawan Kumar Tinu was the first one to reach the site at Ambedkar Bhawan this morning, he was followed by Congress candidate Chaudhary Santokh Singh, his brother and former minister Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, and son and Punjab Youth Congress chief Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary.

Even as the Chaudhary family had just got down, the BJP leaders led by Jalandhar Central MLA Manoranjan Kalia followed him. BSP candidate Sukhwinder Kotli came to the spot along with the party's national secretary Narinder Kashyap.

There were commoners and leaders of various Dalit groups and splinter parties of the BSP who kept coming throughout the day with the stands put up for the garlanding ceremony remaining occupied all day.

Jalandhar, April 14
Weather fluctuation at this point of time, when the wheat crop is about to be harvested, perturbs wheat farmers in the region. Usually harvesting for wheat crop starts around Baisakhi festival but this time due to prolong winter session and unexpected rainfall in the spring, the harvesting will get late by 10 days.

The clear weather and ample temperature helps wheat crop mature and ripen properly but the cloudy weather for the past few days and yesterday's drizzle have been troubling the farmers of the region. The crop has been damaged in many areas in the state due to hailstorm.

According to the Meteorological Department, it is going to be cloudy in some part of Punjab, which is the main cause of worry.

A young farmer of Chak Chela village said he keeps checking weather updates all the time on internet. However, he cannot do anything if it rains heavily. "We have worked very hard over the past five months and spent a lot on seeds, pesticide, herbicide, fertiliser and diesel. If it rains heavily, all our hard work will be reduced to a rubble. Not only the wheat crop but all other crops have been left at the mercy of nature."

An elderly farmer, Satnam Singh of Dumanda village in Adampur, said he has six acres of farming land and all his land was under the wheat crop. "I have a loan to repay. The conditions are going to be worst if it rains at this point of time," he said.

Suttantar Kumar, Chief Agriculture Officer, said light showers would not harm the crop at all. However, the cloudy weather like today may delay the harvesting. 

Jalandhar April 14
Following the arrest of a woman-led gang by the Jalandhar rural police, further interrogation of the gang has led to more recoveries of looted valuables. All gang members are on a three-day police remand and the police is grilling them to inquire into their links with smugglers and other criminals.

The rural police had busted a gang led by a married woman. Along with the kingpin woman, the police had nabbed four of its accomplices, including her husband. The accused were Shivani, alias Seema, kingpin of the gang, her husband, Sham Lal, alias Shama, both residents of Rama Mandi, Karamjit Singh, alias Pamma of Mehatpur, Davinder Singh of Parjian Kalan and Ashok Kumar of Rasulpur Kalan in Nakodar.

According to the police, apart from the recoveries of a motorcycle, Activa scooter, a country-made .315 bore pistol, two live cartridges, 650 gm intoxicant powder, three sharp-edged weapons (datar), some gold ornaments from the gang, the police has also reportedly recovered more valuables, which the gang had looted.

The police said the accused had also confessed to some other past robberies and snatching incidents. The Superintendent of Police (Detective), Jalandhar rural police, HPS Khakh, said: “The accused are on a three-day police remand and efforts are on to explore their links with local smugglers and criminals.”

Jalandhar, April 14
The long battle between the administration of the Shiv Jyoti Public School and its parents was finally resolved today after a meeting between both the parties took place at the school.

While the school had agreed for a fee waiver — in the monthly fee — from the next year on, it has also said admission fee will be waived from next year on.

While the parents had been agitating on and off for the past couple of months regarding their demands about the high prices for books (which they did not want to use), as well as the hefty admission fee, the issue had stayed unresolved for long but today their common issues were resolved in a meeting with college principal Vibha Sharda.

The parents began agitating outside the school gate at 11 am in the morning and the meeting with the principal took place at about half past one.

About 120 parents of the kids had been demanding the waiving of admission fee. Talking to The Tribune, a parent, Hasan Soni, said, "The principal has agreed for a waiver of Rs 2,000 in the admission fee from next year on and has also agreed that books can be bought for experiential learning classes by only those who need them."

Despite the principal saying the fee hadn't been hiked to Rs 11,000, the parents said they were being charged Rs 4,000 as annual fee and Rs 7,000 as admission fee.

Principal Vibha Sahrda said, "The total admission fee hasn't been waived for this year but from next year onwads, the fee would be waived by Rs 2,000 next year (for students who come from our elementary school), which will be adjusted in the other expenses. A fee waiver of Rs 150 in the monthly fee, however, would be implemented from this year itself. The parents not wanting experiential classes can also opt out if they give us that in writing."

She added that the admission fee of students coming from other schools will remain the same the next year as well.

Parents said they would also like the school management to give them the agreement regarding all these matters in writing. Another meeting of the parents and the school management is slated for tomorrow morning. Currently, over 2,300 students study at the school.

Notably, an agreement reached on February 22 this year had also failed to work after differences between the parents and management resurfaced. It will be interesting to see if today's truce lasts.

Jalandhar April 14
As many as 16 people, including men, women and children, sustained injuries after the truck they were travelling in turned turtle near Kharka Kalan village late last night. They were returning to Jalandhar after paying obeisance at Baba Balak Nath in Himachal Pardesh.

Sources said 35 persons were travelling in the truck of which 16 sustained minor injuries. Following the mishap, all were rushed to the Civil Hospital and were discharged after receiving first aid. The injured also included a six-month-old child.

Neetu, a resident of Ashok Nagar, said every year they visit Baba Balak Nath in Himachal Pradesh and on Sunday, while they were returning home, their truck lost control and turned turtle. The injured were identified as Nirmala, Monica, Geeta, Ritika, Renu, Surinder, Inderjit Singh, Shivani, Sivo, Chandra, Priya, Amit, Pankaj, Prince, Ravi and Kamlesh, all residents of Jalandhar.