Wednesday, December 30, 1998
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P U N J A B | |
Wednesday, December 30, 1998 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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Intervene
if Sikhs want: Bhai Manjit Over
600 to take part in Punjabi conference |
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Inter-state
criminal arrested Four
of dacoits' gang arrested Plan
to streamline kerosene supply An
honour to war heroes SGPC
wants 'Adambri Avtar' proscribed Colonial
conquest crippled succeeding states Man
hospitalised with bullet injuries |
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Badal-Tohra feud PATIALA, Dec 29 (UNI) — Akal Takht Jathedar Manjit Singh should intervene to end the political feud between Chief Minister and Akali Dal president Parkash Singh Badal and SGPC supremo Gurcharan Singh Tohra, MP, if the Sikhs as a whole so desire. This was stated by Kesgarh Sahib Jathedar Prof Manjit Singh while speaking to mediapersons here today. "Political, religious and social leaders should act in accordance with the feelings and aspirations of the Sikh community," he added. The Jathedar said he had to intervene in the dispute among different Akali factions while acting as Jathedar of the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal seat of the Sikh religion because the Sikhs so desired. Prof Manjit Singh made it clear that it was up to the Akali Takht Jathedar to intervene or not. Prof Manjit Singh, to a pointed question said he had no no dispute with the Akal Takht Jathedar and held the latter in high esteem, notwithstanding different perceptions on religious issues confronting the Sikhs and their institutions. When asked whether he would participate in the tercentenary celebrations being organised by the Congress, the Kesgarh Sahib Jathedar said as a Sikh priest he would give his "blessings" to any organisation which followed the Anandpur Sahib philosophy and teachings of the gurus. To another question he said the SGPC was an elected body of the Sikhs to manage the gurdwaras independently. The Akali Dal was a political body to fulfil the aspirations of the Sikhs. He was confident that all
the controversies between Mr Badal and Mr Tohra would be
resolved and the Sikh institution would emerge more
stronger. |
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Over
600
to take part in Punjabi conference CHANDIGARH, Dec 29 — More than 600 delegates, including 250 from abroad, have confirmed their participation in the 28th international conference of the International Punjabi Society to be held here from January 2 to 4, Mr Jaspal Singh Kandhari and Mr Amarjit Singh Sethi, president and secretary of the local chapter of the society, announced here today. The conference is being organised here to coincide with the Khalsa tercentenary celebrations. A former Prime Minister, Mr I.K. Gujral, will be the chief guest at the opening session to be held at Tagore Theatre on January 3 where the Punjab Education Minister, Mr Tota Singh, will give the key-note address. Bhai Mohan Singh, President, IPS; Dr Sardar Anjum, Dr SS Kapoor (Vice-Chancellor, World Sikh University in London); Mr R.L. Bhatia (a former Union Minister of State for External Affairs), Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, Mr Iqbal Singh and Mr P.S. Bedi will be the other speakers at the inaugural session. Mr Jaspal Singh Kandhari said that the second session would be dedicated to the Khalsa tercentenary celebrations and would be held at the Sector 15 Guru Gobind Singh Bhavan where the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, will inaugurate the conclave and Mr I.K. Gujral will preside. Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, Mr Adesh Partap Singh Kairon, Bhai Mohan Singh, Dr S.S. Kapoor, Dr S.S. Soch, Dr J.S. Puar, Dr M.M. Puri, Dr Sachidanand, Mr G.S. Gujral will be the main speakers at the second session. Delegates will be taken to Nadha Sahib and Pinjore Mughal Gardens. Mr Kandhari and Mr Sethi said that adequate arrangements had been made for the stay and travel of delegates. A number of eminent personalities, including the Punjab Chief Minister, would be honoured during the conference. Others to be honoured
include Dr Manmohan Singh (a former Union Finance
Minister), Dr Naresh Trehan (Escorts), Dr Anil Kohli, Mr
Kanwar Sandhu (journalist) and Asian Games silver and
bronze medalist Paramjit Singh of Hoshiarpur. |
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Inter-state criminal arrested DERA BASSI, DEC 29 — The Dera Bassi police today nabbed an inter-state criminal who used to take away hired cars after drugging the drivers. Four vehicles were recovered following information supplied by him. According to Mr H.S. Bhullar, DSP, the car thief , Gurmeet Singh, a resident of Panjokhra (Haryana), was nabbed after Mr Jasbir Singh, a resident of Rampur Sainian, lodged a complaint with the police that the accused had driven off his van, (CH OI M 8898), after adding some intoxicant to his tea which brought about a desire to urinate frequently. He said the accused hired his van from the town's bus stand and upon nearing Ambala suggested that they have some tea. The unsuspecting Jasbir Singh accepted offer and had a cup of tea. After some time he started feeling not well and had the feeling to urinate every few minutes. They stopped many times on the way and at one such stop near Dhulkot, the accused drove away with his van while he was answering a call of nature. He somehow managed to reach Dera Bassi and acting on the information, the police set up special check barriers on all approach roads to the town. At a naka near the DAV School, a police party led by SI Jassa Singh, SHO, Dera Bassi, signalled an approaching van to stop. The driver however tried to speed past the barrier but was overtaken and on interrogation it was found that it was the same vehicle that was taken from Jasbir Singh during the day. Mr Bhullar said during interrogation the accused admitted to having driven away with three more vehicles by using the same tactics from taxi stands of the town, Chandigarh and Banur. While a car, (CHK 2484), was taken away from another stand of the town some 10 days ago, another car, (CHK 1856), was hired from a taxi stand in Chandigarh`s Sector 47 and the driver was drugged and left in Sector 22. The vehicle was recovered from S A S Nagar today. Similarly, a car , (CH OI K 2615), hired from Banur driven after the driver was drugged at Zirakpur 25 days ago. The accused had been carrying on with his criminal activities for the past three and a half years and the police claims that more recoveries are likely. A case under Section 328,
379, 411, IPC, has been registered. |
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Four
of
dacoits' gang arrested SAS NAGAR, Dec 29 — Four persons, allegedly members of a 17-man inter-state gang of dacoits, have been arrested by the Ropar police and property worth nearly Rs 20 lakh recovered from them. The men arrested are Harvinder Singh, Sahib Singh, both residents of Ajrana (Jhansa), Haryana, Daljit Singh, resident of Sabdalpur (Delhi) and Punjab Singh, resident of Nanowal (Patiala district). Stating this at a press conference at Sohana today, Mr Jaskaran Singh, SSP, Ropar, claimed that the police recovered two trucks (HYM 5855 and MP 23 DA-0991), which were used in dacoities, 18 truck tyres, three refrigerators, five TV sets, one stereo system, one geyser, 100 litres of refined oil, 255 boxes of Keo Karpin hair oil, 200 crates of Pepsi Cola, 260 crates of empty Pepsi bottles and 101 suit lengths. The SSP said the police had also seized from the suspects a .12-bore pistol, four cartridges, one sword, two "gandasas", four commando-style black underturbans and two torches. Mr Jaskaran Singh said the gang operated in Punjab, Haryana, HP, Chandigarh, Delhi and UP. The modus operandi was to use trucks to carry away goods from godowns on inter-state borders. The gang first used pulleys to break the godown door and then took the truck inside for loading. He said the gang usually operated after midnight and disposed of the stolen property in Delhi. Its members, he said, had bought property in Delhi. Four teams of eight police personnel each had been set up. A press note issued by the police during the press conference indicated that the four arrested persons had admitted committing 15 crimes in Pabhat village (Sohana area), Chandigarh, Parwanoo, Kaithal, Naraingarh, Patiala, Nilokheri, Bhadson and Garhshankar. It said they were arrested by Inspector Surjit Singh of Sohana police station and Ropar CIA Inspector, Lembhar Singh when they were planning to strike in SAS Nagar and Zirakpur. A case under Sections 399 (making preparation to commit dacoity), 402 (assembling for purpose of committing dacoity), IPC and Section 25 of the Arms Act has been registered against the suspects at Sohana police station. In another case, Ruldha Singh was arrested on a charge of murdering Surmukh Singh of Sohana on the night of December 26 during an altercation. The SSP also said that the police network at SAS Nagar would be streamlined for better results. He said of the 1,000 FIRs
registered in the town around 300 related to road
accidents. He added that accident prone spots would be
identified and remedial measures taken. |
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Plan
to
streamline kerosene supply ROPAR, Dec 29 — The Punjab Government has prepared a policy for the rationalisation of kerosene supply throughout the state to be implemented in a couple of days. The entire process of rationalisation will be completed by March-end. Talking to newsmen here last night, the Punjab Food and Supplies Minister, Mr Madan Mohan Mittal said that the actual report of consumption and supply of kerosene would be collected from all districts during the next three months. After that a new quota for each district would be determined. He said that no new quota of kerosene would be issued to a depot holder till he submitted a utilisation certificate of the previous month's quota. The minister, however, admitted that at present there were difference in many districts between allotted quotas and consumption. While issuing a strong warning to blackmarketeers of kerosene, he said the state government was actively considering a proposal to enhance the commission of depot holders. Mr Mittal also said the department had decided to introduce family photographs on ration cards, instead of the photo of the head of the family. Whenever a new member arrived his or her individual photograph could be pasted on the ration card separately. He urged rice millers to continue milling to clear paddy in stipulated period and expressed the hope that the demand of the rice millers, seeking the implementation of relaxations from September 15 last in place of October 27 last, would be fulfilled soon. Mr Mittal who is also a
member of the cabinet sub-committee on fiscal management,
said that the committee would submit its report in a
week. |
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An honour to war heroes JALANDHAR: The magnificent war memorial outside the general bus stand here reminds the people of the sacred memory of martyrs of this district. This befitting symbol of pride stands inside Sutlej Park on the G.T. Road, opposite the bus stand. Constructed in 1976, the war memorial reminds the nation of the sacrifices made by Punjabis for the motherland. After the 1971 Indo-Pak war, the then Chief Minister of Punjab made an announcement for the construction of war memorials at all districts headquarters to commemorate those heroes who had laid down their lives. In pursuance of the above declaration, it was decided in 1974 to construct a magnificent war memorial in memory of martyrs of Jalandhar district. The memorial here has been given the status of the state war memorial. The names of the war heroes of Punjab who have been awarded the Param Vir Chakra, the Mahavir Chakra, Vir Chakra and gallantry awards have been inscribed at the memorial base. The foundation stone of the monument was laid by the then Chief Minister, Giani Zail Singh, on October 14, 1976, and was dedicated to the people of Punjab by Air Chief Marshal O.P. Mehra (retd), Governor of Maharashtra on April 4, 1981. The war memorial is on a triangular piece of land measuring 6040 square metres and is prominently visible while entering the city from Ludhiana side. A black stone skirting has been added as a mark of respect to the dead. The central monument consists of a 50-foot high monumental pillar in white marble and red sand stone on a platform under which the sacred soil collected from all villages of Jalandhar district has been laid. On the sides of the hexagonal raised platform, the names of gallantry award winners since 1947 have been engraved on black marble. It was named as Punjab State War Memorial in 1976 by Mr Darbara Singh. A basement hall has also been conceived to accommodate museum and library. The total project was conceived not only as a monument to commemorate the martyrs but also to provide facilities for intellectual pursuit. To make it the real state war memorial, the underground hall has been turned into a "Hall of Fame". The names of all those soldiers who were killed in operations since Independence have been inscribed on wooden boards. The "Hall of Fame" was inaugurated on October 12, 1990, by the then Governor, Mr Virendra Verma, on the occasion of the silver jubilee of the Indo-Pak war of 1965. Every year ex-servicemen
and civil dignitaries pay their homage to the war heroes
on the occasion of Flag Day on December 7. |
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Colonial
conquest
crippled succeeding states PATIALA, Dec 29 — Eminent historian Satish Chandra, while talking about efforts by Western scholars to justify colonial rule in India, said the states which succeeded the Mughal empire did not have the capacity to create economic development due to the colonial conquest. Delivering the prestigious S.C. Mishra Memorial Lecture at the 59th session of the Indian History Congress at Punjabi University here, Prof Chandra said though it was true that the fall of the Mughal empire did not stop economic development, the states which succeeded were ill-equipped to create it. Prof Chandra, who read out a paper on "Medieval economic development and the communal interpretation of medieval India, said those who had a soft corner for colonial conquest saw it as an act of rescue. It was also wrongly assumed that Asian states did not want to defend or encourage merchants. There was close cooperation between Hindus and Jain merchants and Muslim navigators and that the vast Indian diaspora included the Islamic world also. Contesting that the Indian economy was stagnating before the English conquest, he said recent studies in Rajasthani and Marathi had shown that the Indian village community was highly stratified and the upper strata had resources enough to invest in land. He pointed out that the nobles' investment in trade, though small, could be critical for commercial development and that there was considerable demand for craft products. Later today while delivering his sectional address in the ancient Indian section, Prof Rajan Gurukul said the South Indian society was evolving towards a strong hierarchical structure, which was reflected in the introduction of caste or "jati" under the Brahamana auspices. He gave a comprehensive analysis of the nature and stage of development of the ancient South Indian society. Prof G.S.L. Dewar, in his address on medieval India section, dwelt on length as to how the medieval polity in Rajasthan was created during a process of ‘internal expansion of society’. Prof Ranjit Sen in his address on modern India section explored the consequences of permanent settlement and concluded that a paradigm of property eventually led to a paradox of aristocracy which the colonial state was unable to resolve." Prof Bipan Chandra tried
to locate developmental issues in the context of
neo-Marxian formulations. Prof Irfan Habib and Prof Faiz
Habib read papers drawing attention to the implications
of the recent researches on the evolution of humankind
for early Indian pre-history and man's arrival in India.
Prof Sabhyasachi Bhattacharya presented an informative
paper on labour history in modern India. He discussed
about the famine and the labouring poor by drawing on an
unpublished manuscript by a folk poet. |
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SGPC wants 'Adambri Avtar'
proscribed AMRITSAR, Dec 29 — The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) had urged the Centre to proscribe "Adambri Avtar", a book written by Harinder Singh, a resident of Mohali, and confiscate its all copies, for blasphemous remarks against Sikh gurus and their contemporary Sikh religious personalities. In a statement issued here today, the SGPC secretary, Mr Surjit Singh, said the blasphemous contents of this book, which had denigrated the Sikh gurus, their families and contemporary Sikh religious personalities had hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikhs. Since the original book in English, had already been proscribed by the Punjab Government and its author, remanded in judicial custody, its translation in Punjabi had been done deliberately under a conspiracy to hurt the sentiments of the Sikhs. He demanded stern action against the author. The SGPC, he said, would
take legal action against the author and publisher of
this book. |
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MLA flays book JALANDHAR, Dec 29 — Mr Ajit Inder Singh Mofar, an Akali Dal (Mann)'s MLA, has condemned the novel — "Vanity Incarnate" — written by Harinder Singh. Terming the book as
blasphemous, the MLA says no action has been taken by the
Punjab Government, the Akali Dal or the SGPC against the
writer of this objectionable book, in spite of the matter
having been raised by him in the assembly on December 23. |
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Punjab to launch scheme for women CHANDIGARH, Dec 29 — The Punjab Government will launch a women’s empowerment scheme in the state to enhance their socio-economic status. Ms Jagir Kaur, Minister for Social Security, in a statement issued here today said that under the scheme women groups would be organised at the village-level for inculcating the habit of small savings. It was a self-help scheme under which grants also would be given to them to enable them to start some work at the village level like manufacturing of candles, soaps etc. The profit earned would be
utilised by the group. The district administration
concerned would extend all cooperation in this
connection.
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Complaint filed against editor CHANDIGARH, Dec 29 — The Khalsa Panth Tercentenary Celebrations Committee set up by the SGPC has filed a complaint in a police station at SAS Nagar against the editor and a reporter of a Jalandhar-based Punjabi daily for publishing contents of a banned book in today’s newspaper. The complaint has been
submitted in the police station by Col Jasmer Singh Bala
(retd), Secretary of the celebrations committee. He said
that the news report filed in the newspaper published
from Jalandhar contained blasphemic contents about the
10th Sikh guru and his family. He has also sent the copy
of the complaint to the Jathedar of Akal Takht for
"necessary action". |
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DM
bans
New Year celebrations BATHINDA, Dec 29 — Mr S.R. Ladhar, District Magistrate, has banned the holding of dances, skill games, including tambola competitions and fashion shows by any hotel, institution or any individual on the eve of the new year celebrations. In his orders passed today, he said such a ban had been imposed to avert any untoward incident. He said the ban had also been imposed because certain institutions had been making money by organising dances and other competitions. The orders would remain in
force up to February 27. |
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Ludhiana coldest in region CHANDIGARH, Dec 29 — Bright sunny morning today ended the week long spell of fog over the city and its surrounding areas while an unidentified man in his sixties was found dead near the Mansa Devi Temple, near Panchkula, this morning. He was reportedly sleeping in the open. Fog that had engulfed the city loosened its grip this morning. Even the minimum temperature that had dropped to a near-freezing 1.8°C, yesterday morning was recorded at 5°C this morning. But the temperature was still 2°C below normal. Ludhiana was the coldest place in the region as the minimum temperature dropped to 3°C while Ambala recorded the lowest at 4.1°C. Elsewhere in Haryana, Punjab, Himachal and Jammu and Kashmir the minimum temperatures continued to be below normal. Meanwhile in Chandigarh,
the day time temperatures rose to 22.4°C, almost double
of 11.8°C recorded two days ago. |
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Ludhiana
Janata
Dal 'doubles' LUDHIANA, Dec 29 — Mr Harish Khanna, state coordinator of the Janata Dal, Punjab today refuted claims by a rival group about the dismissal of Mr Rajinder Datta from the post of presidentship of Ludhiana district (Urban) and the appointment of Mr Kartar Singh in his place. Mr Rajinder Datta is a duly-elected president of the Ludhiana district (Urban) unit of the Janata Dal and no steering committee member has the right to dismiss him. Therefore, Mr Rajinder Datta continues to hold the position as president of Janata Dal, Ludhiana (Urban),. The appointment of Mr Kartar Singh in his place is null and void and does not hold good, he said. Mr Khanna said that Dr Bapu Kaldate, secretary general of the Janata Dal had already communicated to all the members of the steering committee in writing that they could not make any fresh appointments. Mr Khanna warned all office-bearers of the state unit who break discipline and weaken the party to desist or face action. Meanwhile, Mr Kartar Singh announced the appointment of the following as office bearers. Mr Sadhu Singh Chohan
— Sr vice president Mr Kimti Lal — vice
president, Mrs Jasvir Kaur — vice president Mr
Harjeet Singh Suri — general secretary Mrs Nirmala
Sharma, Mr Inderjit Singh Sodhi, Mrs Jaswinder Kaur, Mr
S.S. Davinder Rana, Mrs Amita Rani — all secretaries
Mr Gurnam Singh — cashier and Ms Veena Kalia —
joint secretary. |
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Man
hospitalised
with bullet injuries ABOHAR, Dec 29 — Harpreet Singh Thind, a former state general secretary of the anti-corruption board of India and son of former municipal councillor, Mr Amrik Singh Thind, was injured in an attack by five young boys using sharp-edged weapons and guns on College Road here last night. He was admitted to Civil Hospital late midnight. Sources said Harpreet was supervising arrangements at the reception of a recently-married friend at a marriage place on College Road when some persons possibly drunk barged in and tried to disrupt the musical programme. Harpreet asked the miscreants to leave the complex. They left. But when he was returning to his residence after the reception five boys intercepted him and attacked him. His father Amrik Singh and uncle Gurpreet Singh rushed to his rescue. At which the youth opened fire. The police has registered
a case under Sections 323, 324, 306, 336, 148, 149, IPC,
and Sections 25,27, 54, Arms Act, against Sukhdeep Singh,
Patwari, Rinkle, Ginni and Bobby. Neetu was arrested and
remanded to police custody. |
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Voter I-card on spot SAS NAGAR, Dec 29 — Preparation of online voters' photo identity cards will begin here tomorrow. The SDM, Mr M.P. Arora, said today that the identity cards would be issued on the spot. This is the first time that the online system had been introduced in Punjab, under which errors would be minimised. Mr Arora said voters could get their cards made between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. at the local Municipal Council office and Government Senior Secondary School, Phase III B1, on all days, including Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. He said there were around
40,000 persons who had not got voters' identity cards
within the municipal limits. The target, he added, was to
prepare 1,000 cards daily. |
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Phone fraud: case registered PATIALA, Dec 29 — The district police was registered a case against Harpreet Singh who has been accused by the office of the General Manager, Telecommunication Department, Patiala division, of committing a fraud on the department by taking a telephone number under fictitious name and address and then not paying bills worth Rs 6 lakh. The accused, who is still
absconding, has been booked under Sections 419, 420 and
120-B of the IPC, after a formal complaint was lodged by
the General Manager, Telecom office. |
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Prizes for five Punjabi writers CHANDIGARH, Dec 29 — Five Punjabi writers of Haryana will be awarded prizes for their best books of poetry and prose at a special function to be organised by the state Panjabi Sahitya Akademi on January 8 at Red Bishop tourist complex at Panchkula to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh. The writers are Lakh Karnalvi of Karnal, Rabinder Masroor of Jagadhari, Sukhdev Singh and Sukhchain Singh Bhandari of Sirsa and Himmat Singh Sodhi of Ambala Cantt. A "Kavi Darbar"
will also be organised on the occasion. The Haryana
Education Minister, Mr Ram Bilas Sharma, will be the
chief guest and the Principal Secretary to Chief
Minister, Mr L.M. Jain, will be the special guest. The
Financial Commissioner, Education, Mr Vishnu Bhagwan,
will preside over the function. |
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