Saturday, August 15, 1998
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Saturday, August 15, 1998 |
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 A farmer displaying paddy crop allegedly damaged due to gas leak from a factory. The factory can be seen in the background— A Tribune photograph Gas leak damages paddy fields CHANDIGARH, Aug 14 — About 125 acres of paddy have been damaged due to an alleged gas leak from a factory located near Singhpura village,20 km from here. |
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 Dal
(Panthic) plans rallies 'Operation'
to win over Sikhs |
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Devotees wait in vain 700
fall ill after eating langar ‘Jailed’
by poetry after 60 |
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Gas leak damages paddy fields CHANDIGARH, Aug 14 — About 125 acres of paddy have been damaged due to an alleged gas leak from a factory located near Singhpura village,20 km from here, on the Chandigarh-Ambala highway late last night. Villagers,who had been expecting a bumper harvest this year,are a devastated lot and are demanding compensation from the owners, of Punjab Agro Chemicals. They are also planning to take the matter to court and demanded that the pollution control devices installed at the factory be checked to ascertain whether they are functioning or not. Mr Nirmal Singh,whose 10 acres were damaged said this was not a new phenomenon and that they suffer damages every year.But this time they would not suffer silently and would demand adequate compensation, he added. Another farmer, Mr Saudagar Mohammad,whose crop in 8 acres was damaged said he saw thick white smoke billowing out of the factory's chimney last night. The smoke settled down on the crop and damaged it."The leaves turned yellowish brown or just wilted in other areas. Eucalyptus and poplars also bore the brunt of the leak." Mr Gurpreet Singh,another farmer said the management allegedly offered them "money to keep their mouths shut and told them about the connections of the factory owners".The money offered was at the rate of Rs 400 per acre while the villagers were demanding Rs 6000 per acre in view of the extensive damage. Mr Pradeep Verma, Director Corporate Finance said the villagers were always asking for damages whenever the factory started at this time of the year. "The plants will regain their colour and there was nothing to worry about", he said. Moreover, staff from the
Punjab Pollution Control Board was always present in the
factory and they ,on their part, complied with all
directions of the board and installed the pollution
control devices at the time of the commissioning of the
plant, he added. |
Dal (Panthic) plans rallies AMRITSAR, Aug 14 — The Akali Dal (Panthic) has decided to hold rallies and dharnas at all district headquarters in Punjab from August 19 to September 12 in protest against non-acceptance of its demands by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. Addressing a press conference here today, the party chief Bhai Jasbir Singh Rode said his party extended full support to the Shiromani Akali Dal during the last Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. On the even of the Lok Sabha elections, Mr Badal visited his residence in Jalandhar to seek support. His party had put certain demands such as proper rehabilitation of "dharmi faujis" (Army deserters), increasing monthly pension and release of youths languishing in various jails without any trial. He said Mr Badal had assured to meet these demands, but nothing had been done so far. The monthly pension of Rs 500 had also not been paid for the past seven months. No steps had been taken to review the TADA cases involving Sikh youths languishing in jails for the past many years without any trial. He criticised the hike in bus fares and alleged that corruption was rampant at all levels in the state administration. Stating that the first dharna would be staged at the District Court, Amritsar, on August 19, Bhai Jasbir Singh Rode said party workers would pay obeisance at Akal Takht before leaving for the District Courts in a procession. A state-level demonstration would be held at Chandigarh on September 15. Dubbing Mr Badal as
"weak" Chief Minister, he alleged that after
returning to power Mr Badal had done nothing to safeguard
Punjab's interests. |
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News
Analysis CHANDIGARH, Aug. 14 — Following green signal from Mrs Sonia Gandhi, President of the All-India Congress Committee, who is concentrating on winning over the minorities, the Congress in Punjab has launched an "operation winover Sikhs" campaign. The stand taken by the leadership of the Congress in Punjab with regard to Udham Singh Nagar district, on the river waters issue and the proposed visit of Mrs Sonia Gandhi to the Golden Temple indicate that the party is working on Sikhs. Senior leaders of the party admit it. "Mrs Sonia Gandhi wants to make a fresh beginning as far as her personal and the party's relations with the Sikh community are concerned," said Mr Birdevinder Singh, the newly-appointed General Secretary of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. "Forgetting what happened in the past, she wants to remove all the bitterness which alienated the Sikh community by and large from the Congress party. Hence her eagerness to visit the Golden Temple," Mr Birdevinder Singh adds. For bridging the gap between Sikhs and the Congress party, Mrs Sonia Gandhi had made an attempt earlier during her visit to Chandigarh before the Lok Sabha elections when she expressed her anguish over Operation Bluestar. But people linked her regret with vote politics and she was not taken seriously by Sikhs then. She wants to make another attempt. Will it be possible to erase memories of past events like Operation Bluestar, the Delhi riots, involvement of senior Congress leaders in such riots etc? Senior Congress leaders say that it is not an easy task. But a beginning will have to be made at some stage to develop a new bond with the Sikh community. And it is the most appropriate time when Sikhs are feeling disillusioned with the Akali Dal which they had backed to the hilt in the last Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections, Congress leaders add. By taking a tough stand with regard to issues pertaining to Punjab, the state Congress leadership wants to send the message across that it (Congress party) can also fight for Punjab's demands. So far the impression among people of the state and especially among the Sikhs is that the Congress is an "anti-Punjab and anti-Sikh party" and nothing can be expected from it. It has to obey what its high command directs it to do. The Akali leadership takes full advantage of such feelings among Sikhs against the Congress. Mr Birdevinder Singh said that the Congress wanted to do away with this impression. He said the Congress leadership in the recent past had taken a very clear and categorical pro-Punjab stand pertaining to issues of the state and would continue to do the same in the future. He said that the Punjab Congress had started asserting. It took up the Udham Singh Nagar issue with the party high command with full vigour. The emergence of regional parties, perhaps, has made the Congress party think on these lines. Punjab Congressmen are aware of the fact that they would have to cater to regional aspirations if they want to sink their roots deep in the countryside. Otherwise, the Akali leadership will not allow them to have a foothold in rural Punjab. For the Akalis it is very easy to whip up anti-Congress feelings. Although Congressmen claim that Mrs Sonia Gandhi wants to make a fresh beginning in Punjab, there seems to be a political motive behind her proposed visit to the Golden Temple. Elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi are not very far. There are at least 30 to 40 seats in these states where Sikh voters hold the key. By visiting the Golden Temple before the elections she could win the hearts of Sikh voters and make them tilt towards the Congress. Such a visit could also help in the Lok Sabha elections which, keeping in view the existing political situation at the national level, can be possible at any time in the near future. Capt Amarinder Singh says that she wants to visit Amritsar before November as after that she will be busy in election campaigning. The mood in the Congress rank and file in Punjab is upbeat. The immediate reason for this is the impressive turnout at its rallies and conferences held at Baba Bakala, Ferozepore and some other places. Capt Amarinder Singh claims that the turnout was better than the Akali conference at Baba Bakala. What has given an advantage to the Congress is the souring of relations between the SAD and the BJP. Congress leaders say that an impression has gone around that the BJP-dominated government at the Centre is not well disposed towards Mr Badal's government. No big industrial unit has
been sanctioned for Punjab so far although Mr Sukhbir
Singh Badal is Minister for Industry in the Central
Government. Two major projects — an oil refinery and
a petrochemicals complex — are in the doldrums as
the Central Government is dragging its feet. |
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Devotees wait in vain MEHNDIPUR (Indo-Pak Border) , Aug.14 — Hundreds of Punjabis from either side of the border who were hoping for a glimpse of their near and dear ones at the annual festival of “Baba Sheikh Brahm” across the Indo-Pakistan fencing near Khemkaran yesterday returned disappointed as Pakistani Rangers did not allow their countrymen to pay obeisance at the tomb of the Baba. The tomb is only a few yards from the border. More than one lakh devotees, including Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims, thronged the tomb of Sheikh Brahm who is believed to have met Guru Nanak during one of the “udasis” (religious journeys). The tomb used to be a meeting place for families separated during the partition. However, after terrorism, especially Operation Bluestar, such meetings were virtually stopped. The scene at the tomb of the Baba was moving. Eager faces searched for their relatives, now converted into Islam.With eyes lit up in anticipation, they craned their necks in a futile exercise to spot their kin. Kala Singh, a resident, had come to the tomb along with his family to see his sister Hanif who was left behind in Pakistan at the time of the partition.She had since embraced Islam. His wife Manjit Kaur, with tears welling in her eyes, said it was about 15 years ago that she had met Hanif at the annual festival of Baba Sheikh Brahm here. She said her son and daughter aged nine and 11, respectively, had not met their aunt at all . Pasho, a resident of Ghariala village said she had come to see his paternal uncle, Yakku Masih, residing at Sehjra village in Pakistan. She said her uncle used to come from Pakistan every year to the tomb of Sheikh Brahm till 1984. Jagiro, from Khemkaran said she had come to see her sister-in-law, Palo, and her husband, Barkat, residents of Dauke village in Pakistan. Preeto, another resident of Ghariala, was here in the hope of meeting her relative, a resident of Lahore. She said though she had been coming to pay obeisance at the tomb every year, she had not been able to meet her since 1947. Mr Sohan Singh Kadri, who
has changed his name from Sohan Lal and looks after the
tomb, said a few of Pakistani Army officers had been
allowed, after repeated requests, to pay obeisance at the
tomb. Five years, ago too some officers were allowed to
cross the border to pay obeisance. Now the practice had
been virtually abandoned. |
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Kalia joins issue with junior JALANDHAR, Aug14 (PTI) — Punjab Health Minister Manoranjan Kalia today said his junior minister Inderjit Singh Zira’s criticism of the local Civil Hospital and action against certain doctors had given a setback to the Badal government’s efforts to improve the state’s health services. Joining issue with Mr Zira, who criticised the functioning of the state’s biggest government hospital in Mr Kalia’s hometown, the minister said it was surprising that while on the one hand the SAD- BJP regime was trying to resurrect the health services, a minister of the Akali Dal was busy blowing his own trumpet. "I saw for myself the hospital’s functioning only three weeks back along with editors of certain major newspapers of the region and found the level of health care facilities relatively satisfying", Mr Kalia said. He said the number of OPD and indoor cases in the 400-bed hospital had gone up considerably and the bed occupancy rate was also on the rise. A senior BJP leader, on condition of anonymity, said Mr Zira, Minister of State for Health, was feeling ignored and wanted to make headlines by raiding a hospital in his senior’s constituency. "Such actions merely show how desperate certain leaders are who have yet to learn to work in a coalition with all its strains", Mr Kalia said. Mr Zira had raided the hospital on Wednesday and criticised its working. He had also ordered a departmental inquiry against certain doctors who he claimed were absent from duty. The doctors have contested the minister’s claim and demanded an apology from Mr Zira. PHILLAUR: Punjab Youth Congress senior vice-president Parminder Mehta has demanded the immediate resignation of Punjab Health Minister Inderjit Singh who had admitted corruption in his department. Talking to newsmen here on
Friday, Mr Mehta urged the Punjab Chief Minister to drop
him from the Cabinet. |
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700 fall ill after eating
langar BRINGKHERA (Muktsar), Aug 14 — As many as 700 persons were taken ill after consuming the rice served in a langar organised by villagers here today. Official sources said all patients, except three, were out of danger and responding to the treatment being given at various hospitals of Mandi Dabwali. Those in a serious condition have been shifted to Civil Hospital at Bathinda. Police sources said the news of food poisoning spread around 4 p.m. and by 10 p.m., about 700 persons complained of vomitting and abdominal pain. Mr Hardip Dhillon, DIG, Ferozepore, who along with the DC and the SSP, Muktsar, rushed to Mandi Dabwali, said a case had been registered and samples of the rice taken. He said poisoning by some miscreants could not be ruled out. Villagers said the rice was cooked in canal water. They suspected that some insecticide, which was meant for spraying in the fields, somehow got mixed with the water. Balbir Singh, a resident of the village, said the rice was also served to people who passed through the village. Hospitals at Mandi Dabwali could not accommodate the rush of the patients and the patients could be seen lying in corridors and on lawns. A team of doctors from Muktsar and Bathinda has reached Mandi Dabwali. Mr S.R. Ladhar and Mr Harnek Singh DC and SSP, respectively, of Bathinda have deployed policemen in various temples in Bathinda districts to check the distribution of "prasad". Mr Manoranjan Kalia, Punjab Health Minister, who was in Bathinda to unfurl the National Flag tomorrow, visited the patients at the local Civil Hospital. CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, tonight expressed sympathies with the families whose kin were taken ill after partaking of the langar. He directed the hospital
authorities in the adjoining districts of Ferozepore,
Ludhiana, Patiala and Bathinda to accommodate the
patients. The CM is likely to visit the area tomorrow. |
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‘Jailed’ by poetry after 60 AMRITSAR: Darshan Kaur (63), a retired Block Primary Education Officer, has disproved the age-old theory that a person starts writing poetry at the age of adolescence. One does not lose the zest for writing poetry after the age of 60. She has written an acclaimed book "Karawaas" (imprisonment) after five years of retirement. Interestingly, the entire family of Mrs Darshan Kaur is involved in the Punjabi or Hindi literature in one or the other way. While her son, Dr Manmohan Singh, is an established Punjabi and Hindi poet, her daughter-in-law, daughters and even grandson have penned some poems and articles. Darshan Kaur has also written Urdu ghazals, a collection of which is being printed . In "Karawaas", she has written as many as 49 poems, mostly about destitute women. Talking to this reporter Darshan Kaur said when she had penned her first poem as a student, her father Giani Mohinder Singh, a Punjabi teacher-poet, discouraged her and asked her not to write in future. After that incident, she never dared to write. Many years after the death of her father, she again started writing which was welcomed by literary figures. The poems incorporated in this book are thought-provoking and tremendously revealing, vibrating with multiple themes. Darshan Kaur shows a firm determination to face all sorts of challenges. Apart from this she had given a new vocabulary in Punjabi literature. At the same time she retains the simplicity and warmth of Punjabi folksongs in her poetry. Darshan Kaur is an artiste
who blends ethics and truth in her work. |
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Cops’ widows neglected lot AMRITSAR, Aug 14 — Living in a state of virtual penury, over 150 widows of the policemen who were killed during the decade-long violence that gripped Punjab in the 80s expressed a feeling of total neglect while talking to newsmen here yesterday at the Circuit House. BJP MLA Lakshmi Kanta Chawla, who has been spearheading the widows’ cause, regretted that the state government had left them to their fate without providing them with government jobs, at least to one member of family, as had been promised by the government. The widows have been knocking at the doors of various government officials, including ministers, seeking jobs, pensions, grants and other benefits but have not got anything substantial, Ms Chawla said. Ms Chawla said the widows’ sons had not been given jobs in the police department as had been assured by the government. The widows lashed out at the Human Rights Commission, particularly the Peoples Commission, set up by retired Justice Kuldeep Singh, to "single out police officers involved in the killing of innocent persons". The police widows lamented
that their husbands had sacrified their lives fighting
terrorism but the inquiries by commissions would add to
their woes. They said terrorists had
rendered a large number of families without any earning
male member. The families were suffering on account of
the apathetic attitude of the government, they added. |
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Writers honour minister AMRITSAR, Aug 14 — Dr Rattan Singh Minister for Animal Husbandry Punjab was honoured by the Punjab writers Forum here today for his contribution in the field of Punjabi. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that the Writers Forum had undertaken a task to translate the poetry of Sufi poets of Punjab into other languages so that people of other countries might become familiar with the Sufi poetry. Prof SS Chhina, general
secretary of the forum sought cooperation from the people
familiar with Sufi poetry and its translation. The forum
presented a memorandum to the Punjab government and
requested Dr Rattan Singh to help allot land to build a
hall for the meetings of writers. |
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Bathinda-Abohar train from today CHANDIGARH, Aug 14 — A new daily train between Bathinda and Abohar via Gidderbaha and Malout will start from tomorrow, a spokesperson of the Ambala railway division said today. The train, 1 BA will leave
Bathinda at 9: 55 a.m. and stop at Gidderbaha and Malout
and reach Abohar at 11: 15 a.m. On its return journey,
the train (2 BA) will start from Abohar at 11: 35 a.m.
and reach Bathinda at 1 p.m. |
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Amar Jawan Jyoti inaugurated JALANDHAR, Aug 14 — Lt-Gen I.K. Davar, General Officer Commanding of Vajra Corps inaugurated the Amar Jawan Jyoti at Punjab War Memorial here today in a commemorative function organised as a part of operation Sahyog. The Jyoti is installed at the war memorial as a symbol of sacrifice and devotion to duty by the sons of Punjab. On the occasion a large number of Army officers and jawans gathered to pay homage to the martyrs, who laid their lives since independence in supreme acts of valour beyond the call of duty. Lt Gen K Davar after
taking over the command had thought of installing Amar
Jawan Jyoti at this memorial. With his intervention,
Indian Oil Corporation had agreed to install the Amar
Jawan Jyoti at this memorial free of cost. For subsequent
maintenance too, the Indian Oil has promised all help. |
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Summons to SHO, constables ABOHAR, Aug 14 — Mr D.S. Mangat, Subdivisional Judicial Magistrate, has issued a summons to Sandeep Sharma, a former SHO of the sadar police station, ASI Devinder, and Jasbir Singh, Manjit Singh and Resham Singh (all constables), Dharam Pal and Mr Ratan Lal, a former sarpanch of Alamgarh village on a complaint filed by Mr Lal Chand of Alamgarh village near here. Mr Lal Chand Sharma had alleged that a police party, led by the SHO Sandeep Kumar raided his residence on August 27, 1997, as Dharam Pal and Ratan Lal allegedly insisted that Sahib Ram, a brother of the applicant, be insulted in their presence because he had been released by the SDM in a case earlier. It was alleged that since Sahib Ram was not available the police picked up his minor son, Rakesh Kumar, a student, and took him to sadar police station. He was later allegedly shifted to the Balluana police post and kept in illegal custody. The applicant said Rakesh
Kumar was released on the intervention of the Judicial
Magistrate. No case was pending against him or his
father. |
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800 saplings planted PATIALA, Aug 14 — The Punjab Police Commando Training School today launched a three-day campaign by planting 800 saplings at the Bahadurgarh fort here. Mr Gurinder Singh Dhillon, Commandant, inaugurated the campaign. He said in a press note that as much as 2000 saplings of eucalyptus and neem trees would be planted both within the precincts of the fort and around it. Congress grass and bushes
were uprooted on the first day. |
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Remand of all suspects extended CHANDIGARH, Aug 14 — The Duty Magistrate, Mr Jasbir Singh, today extended the judicial remand of all eight suspects in the Burail jail blow-up conspiracy case up to August 26. The suspects are Sitla Prashad Mishra, constable Jaswinder Singh, Satnam Singh, Baljit Singh, Balvinder Singh, Jaswant Singh, D.S. Rajput and Jaspal Singh. Rajput later moved two applications in the court of Mr Jasbir Singh. The first application urged the court to order his treatment at the PGI. He alleged that during his police remand he was tortured both physically and mentally. He was not allowed to sleep. The magistrate directed the PGI Medical Superintendent to get him examined. In the second application, Rajput alleged that the police did not comply with the orders of the court for lodging him at Burail jail. He was taken to Nabha jail The magistrate issued
notice to the police for August 17. |
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Gulzar, MP visit Golden Temple AMRITSAR, Aug 14 — Gulzar, producer-director of Hindi movies, and Mr Kuldip Nayar, noted columnist and member of the Rajya Sabha, visited the Golden Temple here today to pay obeisance. After the "parkarma", they listened to Shabad kirtan. Both were bestowed upon siropas on behalf of the SGPC. In the visitors book,
Gulzar observed: "Koi khamosh zakham lagti hai, Talking to TNS, Gulzar
said he was visiting the Golden Temple after more than
four decades. Before the partition, he and his family had
been residing in Jhelum district. |
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Badal urged to accord approval CHANDIGARH, Aug 14 — A deputation of the anti-periphery action committee met Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal and urged him to regularise the structures built outside the 'lal dora' of villages in the state. According to Dr G.S. Jammu, convener of the committee, members also urged Mr Badal that all the cases against the defaulters should be withdrawn before the next hearing of the case on October 26. He said Mr Badal referred
the matter to the Chief Secretary and assured them that
the matter would be considered sympathetically. |
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War veterans honoured PATIALA, Aug 14 — One Armoured Division today honoured soldiers who took part in World War II alongside the allied forces at a ceremony here. One armoured GOC Maj-Gen PPS Bhandari said the heroic contribution of the Indian Army would be remembered by the entire world. The Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) president, Mrs Bably Bhandari, honoured the war widows of Patiala, Nabha and Rajpura at a separate ceremony. Mrs Bhandari said the
nation stood united due to the valiant efforts of their
husbands. |
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