Memo to Advani on minister’s sack
LUDHIANA, Oct 30 — A delegation of leaders of the various political parties of the state met the Union Home Minister Mr L K Advani, yesterday and demanded the sack of the Punjab Agriculture Minister, Mr Gurdev Singh Badal, and a CBI probe into the rape and abduction case of Gurpreet Sharma alias Sonu, allegedly by a son of Mr Badal.

Punjab paddy may be milled in TN
CHANDIGARH, Oct 30 — The paddy procured from Punjab may be milled in Tamil Nadu. This is sequel to a communication sent by the Punjab Government to the Union Ministry of Food in which the state has offered to contribute brown rice instead of finished rice to the Central pool.

Bid to abduct Mamta Kulkarni
LUDHIANA, Oct 30 — Actress Mamta Kulkarni had a providential escape when a bid to abduct her was made here today. She was here in connection with a cultural show at a local club.

French girl’s first Karva Chauth
LUDHIANA: For the 26-year-old French girl, Isabelle, it has turned out to be a “cultural shock” that never was.

MLA writes to Sonia against PCC chief
LUDHIANA, Oct 30 — In a letter to the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, the newly elected MLA from the Ludhiana North Assembly constituency, Mr Rakesh Pandey, has complained against the “autocratic and partial” working of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President, Capt Amarinder Singh.

Meeting next week on brown rice
CHANDIGARH, Oct 30 — A meeting among senior officers of the Punjab Food and Supply department and the FCI will be held in Delhi next week to formulate specifications as regards brown rice.

Gupta cancels appointments
FATEHGARH SAHIB, Oct 30 — Mr Suresh Gupta, Organising Secretary of the All-India Congress Sewa Dal, has scrapped all appointments made recently by Dr Harbans Lal, MLA and President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Sewa Dal.

GND varsity youth festival results
AMRITSAR, Oct 30 — The local B.B.K. D.A.V. College for Women today won the overall trophy in the university zonal youth festival (literary and fine arts) which concluded at the Guru Nanak Dev University’s Dashmesh Auditorium here this evening.

Badal calls PAC meet on Nov 6
By Gobind Thukral
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 30 — Scared by the growing dissident activity and a challenge to his leadership, the Akali Dal President and Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, has summoned a meeting of the Political Affairs Committee here of the party on November 6.

The PAC has met early this month and debated the reasons for the Akali defeat in the Lok Sabha poll. Mr Badal is yet to call a meeting of the legislature party.

Mr Badal wants to take into confidence his colleagues in the PAC on the question of choosing the SGPC president. Mr Badal this time seems to be keen on changing Bibi Jagir Kaur. Mr Balbir Singh Pannu's name figures prominently in political circles. In fact, Mr Badal yesterday cold shouldered Bibi Jagir Kaur. There had been broad hints for a change from Mr Badal's camp.

The SGPC president's election is slated for November 10 and Mr Badal has so far not given any firm indication. He was waiting for the moves of the former SGPC President, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, and other dissident leaders. If Mr Tohra and other dissidents join hands, they could certainly embarrass Mr Badal in this election. In order to stem the tide against him and win over MLAs and members of the general house of the SGPC, Mr Badal has thrown the bait yesterday when he issued a statement offering chairmanships of the boards and corporations and ministerial berths. He said he would do so after he was free from the SGPC presidential elections. This clearly showed Mr Badal's weakening position.

The last meeting of the PAC was not a happy one. There was some fireworks and this could be repeated now. Two dissident leaders — a former Speaker, Mr Ravi Inder Singh, and Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, a former Chief Minister, and former union ministers could pose problems. Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, a party general secretary who missed the chance to become a union minister is also not happy. But he may not oppose Mr Badal. In any case, he may not render much help either. He had been sulking and blaming many people for his humiliation. He was invited in writing by the Prime Minister, but Mr Badal shot the invitation down by saying that the Akali Dal should not accept a small ministry. The real reason, political observers note, was different. Mr Barnala and some of Mr Badal's close aides did not like this.

Mr Badal as he plans, is trying hard to win over as many MLAs as possible. He could accommodate some in the boards and corporations though there is little work and no money. Same way he could make some ministers. He has been particularly keen on winning over those from the Majha area. The Akali rank and file feels let down since in Amritsar district, it was the Karion family led by Mr Surinder Singh Karion calling the shots. Here the opposition to Mr Badal is vocal.

For the first time ever since Mr Parkash Singh Badal assumed office, he is facing a threat to his power. He has been riding high, leading the government, heading the Akali Dal and then calling the shots in the SGPC. But not any longer. The Akali Dal's defeat in the Lok Sabha poll, just after the party had swept the state by winning all the 13 seats in 1998, has lead to the present crisis. His authority is considerably eroded.

At least 34 MLAs, including 11 from the Tohra group, who still continue to be the members of the Akali Dal legislature party despite their open defiance are stated to have signed a letter, demanding holding an immediate meeting of the legislature party. The purpose mentioned is to discuss the dismal performance of the party and the working of the government. But the motive is to challenge Mr Badal's leadership. This group where several leaders including ministers, are active, is aiming to reach the magic figure of 37, half the number of Akali MLAs. "Once that number is reached, we would seek a change in the leadership. We have verbal support of more MLAs. But they would not sign as they want to wait till Mr Badal expands his Ministry", one senior MLA, who held high office, told TNS. He would not like his name to be quoted at this juncture. This group maintains that as Mr Badal cannot get the group members again to the Assembly with his present kind of functioning of the government, it would not like to support him. Dissatisfaction is widespread. In fact, talking to some who had been having closed door meetings all these days revealed that many MLAs are angry and disappointed.

The Punjab BJP meeting here yesterday and the attack on the Akali leadership, including that on the Chief Minister has emboldened dissidents. The BJP leaders saying that they have political tie-up with the Akali Dal as such, and not with any individual leader is considered significant. But when asked that the resolution placed confidence in Mr Badal, some dissident MLAs shot back: "It is just for the record. We are in touch with the BJP leadership in Delhi. We know their mind very well".

The BJP's central leaders are not happy is indicated by Mr Badal rushing to Delhi some days ago and his meeting with Mr Sudarshan, RSS leader who coordinates with the BJP. He sought help from him and explained the real reasons for the dismal performance of the Akali, BJP candidates.

Tohra sees revolt against Badal

JALANDHAR, Oct 30 (PTI) Sarb Hind Akali Dal chief G.S. Tohra today categorically ruled out any move to hammer out a compromise formula for building bridges with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and claimed that Akali Dal MLAs would soon force a change of leadership.

"Don’t worry,leader will be changed", Mr Tohra told reporters at Variana village near here when asked whether any bid was on to re-unite with the ruling Akali Dal. He said Mr Badal, just like his earlier tenures as Chief Minister, has "once again proven a failure and the Akali Dal MLAs are increasingly realising this and would change their leader soon."

Asked whether he was in contact with the BJP or the RSS leaders Mr Tohra snapped back saying "even if I were,why should I tell you?".

Pooh-poohing statements made by Badal loyalists about his being a Congress agent and ensuring victory of the Congress in the recently held Lok Sabha polls, Mr Tohra said "those making such accusations were themselves playing the role of Congress agents. Mr Badal should have read the writing on the wall and bowed before Akal Takht to prevent a split in the Akali Dal."

"We tried till the last moment not to cause a split in the party and repeatedly tried to reason with Mr Badal that supremacy of Akal Takht and its Jathedar should be respected and Bhai Ranjit Singh should not be humiliated but an obdurate Chief Minister refused to yield. This is what sealed his defeat in polls," Mr Tohra said.

Mr Tohra's latest salvo against Mr Badal and his claim that Akali Dal MLAs would opt for a change of leadership comes in the wake of persistent media reports about a signature campaign among ruling alliance legislators on the issue.

Earlier, Mr Badal had also ruled out any hand-shake with Mr Tohra faction saying "we can have no truck with a party which was responsible for defeat of the Akali Dal." He had also slammed role of Bhai Ranjit Singh, former Jathedar of Akal Takht, saying the cleric had campaigned to ensure victory of the Congress.

Separatists’ smart use of Internet
From Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, Oct 30 — Sikhs all over the world are reluctant to make liberal donations towards the cause of “Khalistan” these days. As a result, the International Sikh Organisation (ISO) and other separatist outfits are facing a “financial crunch” of sorts.

This is clear from the ISO’s website on the internet. “The Khalistan letter”, a monthly newsletter of ISO on Internet makes an appeal for funds makes it evident that there are few donors for “Khalistan”.

What worries the intelligence agencies is that the “Khalistanis”, who have taken refuge in foreign countries, are making the optimum use of Internet to further their cause. One of the newsletters on the Internet reads: “Sikhs must have an alternative to the Akali Dal. Discard all Akali parties and the Congress”.

Interestingly, the newsletter condemns all factions of the Akali Dal. It reads: “Badal is an agent of the BJP. Tohra is a Congress agent. Both have betrayed the Sikh Nation”. It also carries a threat for Capt Amarinder Singh, President, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, and Mr Harminder Singh, a Congress leader, for presenting a siropa to Rahul Gandhi, son of the late Rajiv Gandhi, at Ludhiana.

The newsletter reads: “The only way to free Khalistan is to start a ‘shantmay morcha’ (peaceful movement). The militant movement failed because of infiltration by the Indian agencies in the hands of ‘Freedom fighters’. A new leadership must emerge and launch a peaceful morcha to free Khalistan immediately”.

It highlights the dilemma of Mr Simranjit Singh Mann over the issue of “Khalistan”. It reads “Mann abandons Khalistan again. On August 17, Mann issued a statement saying that he would not raise any demand related to Khalistan. As recently as may, he was saying Khalistan might be part of his platform. Mann has vacillated on this issue several times. He cannot be trusted”.

The newsletter quotes many news reports from leading English papers, including The Tribune and The Hindustan Times.

Senior police officials speaking on the condition of anonymity, said there was a dire need for countering the propaganda by “Khalistani” outfits on the Internet and careful monitoring of the website. They said a separate cell should be set up to keep a record of the propaganda launched by the separatists on the Internet.

Scholars want strong Panthic leadership
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 30 — Sikh scholars, by and large, are fed up with the existing traditional Panthic leadership and wanted the emergence of a new, strong, committed and intelligent leadership to lead the Sikhs in the next millennium.

The traditional leadership has achieved nothing but has given anger, anguish, frustration and humiliation to the Panth. This was the viewpoint at the seminar organised by the local Institute of Sikh Studies at Gurdwara Sahib Kanthala on the topic, "Panthic leadership and decision making".

Among those who presented papers at the seminar were Dr G.S. Dhillon, Dr Balkar Singh, Prof Prithipal Singh Kapur, Dr Sangat Singh and Wing Commander S.S. Gyani (retd).

Dr G.S. Kalkat, Vice-Chancellor of PAU, Ludhiana, was to inaugurate the seminar but he could not make to it, and his inaugural address was read by Mr Gurbax Singh.

Dr Kalkat said the Panth required a collective leadership with the foremost quality of self-sacrifice for which Panth was formed by the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. Instead of mere symbolic reverence and recitation of Gurbani, the Panth needed only those who could put into practice the edict of Gurbani and were able to imbibe the qualities like sacrifice, honesty, humility, scientific temperament and transparency.

Dr Kapur criticised the ever-expanding influence of so-called Sant Babas. This was commercialisation of religion. The spirit of service, commitment and dedication was absent among the bureaucracy of the SGPC, he observed.

Dr Sangat Singh said there was a big threat to the Sikh religion from the mushroom growth of Sants, Babas and various ‘deras’. "Due to vote politics, Sikh politicians bow before such Sants and Babas. Such persons are creating their own disciples and not making them ‘Sikhs of guru’."

Dr Dhillon said it was unfortunate that Sikhs failed to throw up a new leadership even though they had suffered tremendously in the past two decades due to blunders committed by the traditional Panthic leadership.

He called up the Sikh intellectuals to spread all over the state and create public opinion among the Sikhs the need to replace the existing Sikh leadership and to bring honest and committed leaders for leading the community.

Dr Balkar Singh said the ruling Panthic leadership had already turned its back to the Panthic agenda. It had paid the price in the recent Lok Sabha elections for ignoring the Akali ideology. The leadership had lost self-confidence.

Memo to Advani on minister’s sack
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Oct 30 — A delegation of leaders of the various political parties of the state met the Union Home Minister Mr L K Advani, yesterday and demanded the sack of the Punjab Agriculture Minister, Mr Gurdev Singh Badal, and a CBI probe into the rape and abduction case of Gurpreet Sharma alias Sonu, allegedly by a son of Mr Badal.

In a memorandum submitted to Mr L K Advani, the delegation also asked for immediate security by CRPF personnel to Mr Harish Khanna, convenor of the Janata Dal (S), who had brought the rape case of Gurpreet, a minor girl to the fore. The memorandum also urged the Home Minister to order a CBI inquiry into the alleged attempt made by some senior police officials to physically eliminate Mr Khanna, allegedly at the behest of the Agriculture Minister and to give direction to the state government to initiate steps to improve the law and order situation in the state.

A delegation of 15 members of various political parties like the Janata Dal (S), the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal, the CPM, the CPI, the Samajwadi Party and Akali Dal (Amritsar) had gone to meet Mr Advani.

Punjab paddy may be milled in TN
By Prabhjot Singh
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 30 — The paddy procured from Punjab may be milled in Tamil Nadu.

This is sequel to a communication sent by the Punjab Government to the Union Ministry of Food in which the state has offered to contribute brown rice instead of finished rice to the Central pool.

The Punjab Government has maintained that if the ministry is prepared to accept brown rice for the Central pool, it would help expedite the milling of paddy in compliance with the specifications announced by the union government for rice procurement for the kharif season.

The Union Ministry of Food, it is learnt, has also accepted this offer of the Punjab Government of supplying only brown rice instead of finished rice to the central pool in the current season.

Punjab, according to the Secretary, Food, Mr P.Ram, had offered to supply brown rice after the Punjab Rice Millers Association made a written request to the state. The offer, the sources said, has been necessitated due to a number of factors because of which the millers in the state find it difficult to meet the tight specifications of the union government.

Harvesting of paddy by harvester combines and higher percentage of broken rice are the main problems faced by Punjab rice millers. The state government, however, is awaiting details of acceptance of the offer, including the milling rates and specifications for brown rice.

Meanwhile, the Department of Public Distribution in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution is considering seriously the offer of brown rice from Punjab.

A meeting on the subject has been convened by the ministry for November 5 where the secretary, Mr P. Ram, has been invited to work out the modalities.

On the other hand, the Tamil Nadu Rice Millers’ Association appear to have come to the rescue of their Punjab counterparts by offering to undertake milling of paddy procured by the FCI from various grain markets in Punjab.

At present the Punjab unit of the FCI has a surplus of 20 lakh to 25 lakh tonnes of paddy. The state government, according to sources, has no objection in case the surplus paddy is supplied to other states for milling and subsequent distribution under the public distribution system.

Bid to abduct Mamta Kulkarni

LUDHIANA, Oct 30 (PTI) — Actress Mamta Kulkarni had a providential escape when a bid to abduct her was made here today.

She was here in connection with a cultural show at a local club.

According to Kaity, a friend of Mamta Kulkarni, they were preparing to leave for the venue of the function this after noon when six unidentified persons came to her hotel room.

Two of them were in police uniforms. One of them projected him-self as the police chief and told them that he had come to provide them with security. He also said the cars to carry them to the venue were outside.

Kaity told reporters in the presence of the SHO of the police station (civil lines) that without smelling any foul play she and Mamta came outside. Before getting into the cars, Kaity went to the manager to inform him about their departure.

The "abductors" grew suspicious and panicky and sped away in the cars.

The police said security for these artistes had been further tightened.

French girl’s first Karva Chauth
From A.S.Prashar
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA: For the 26-year-old French girl, Isabelle, it has turned out to be a “cultural shock” that never was.

Marrying an Indian and preferring to settle down in India rather than her native Douvres, near Normandy in France or the USA where she studied, was a difficult decision. But there never was any doubt in her mind that she would ultimately marry Amit Jain whom she met in the University of Kentucky, USA, way back in 1992. “The moment I set my eyes on him, I knew that he was to be the man in my life. You can say that it was love at first sight. Somehow, it took us all of seven years to actually get married”, she said with a little smile during the course of an interview here on Friday.

He was studying business and textiles while she was doing her masters in travel and tourism. “In India, marriages happen very fast. You select your partner, you get engaged and before you know him, you are married. It is different in the West. Partners prefer to know each other thoroughly before taking the plunge. This is one of the reasons why it took us so long to get married. And when we decided to go ahead, we got married twice instead of once,” she said with a laugh. “The first time it was in a church in France on August 29, 1998 and the second time in India in the traditional Indian way on December 25, 1998”.

On Thursday, she observed her first Karva Chauth fast praying for the long life of her husband. “It is so much fun. I love the traditional Indian festivals and customs”, she said excitedly. She dressed in the traditional Indian way in a shiny golden saree, put on her best jewellery complete with a bindi and waited for the moon to rise in the evening to break her fast.

During those seven years of courtship, Amit had told her so much about India that when she finally came to live in India, she found that she already knew almost everything about the Indian culture, its customs and festivals. “I took to India like fish takes to water. There was no cultural shock despite the fact that there is a vast difference between the Western culture and the lifestyle and the way of life here in India”.

Isabelle has found Ludhiana to be a polluted city and its people snobbish. “I think it is because of too much money coming too quickly”, she observes.

After helping her husband in his hosiery factory for about a year, Isabelle opened what is supposed to be Ludhiana’s biggest modern book shop on Sunday. And the response has been heartwarming. “People of all age groups have been visiting the book shop and almost every visitor has gone back with a book”, she gushes.

“I preferred a book shop to a travel agency even though I hold a master’s degree in travel and tourism. In India, a travelling agency is a tricky business. More so in Punjab where people are always trying to migrate to Europe, the US and Canada through travel agents. I don’t think I could handle that”, she says with a shake of her head.

But someday, she hopes to have her travel agency along with the bookshop under the same roof.

MLA writes to Sonia against PCC chief
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Oct 30 — In a letter to the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, the newly elected MLA from the Ludhiana North Assembly constituency, Mr Rakesh Pandey, has complained against the “autocratic and partial” working of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President, Capt Amarinder Singh.

Mr Pandey has alleged that the state party President has been giving top party positions to those “who had joined the Congress along with him in 1997 from the Akali cadres.”

The Congress MLA has pointed out the need for a facelift of the party’s Punjab unit. He has stated that the grand success of the Congress in Punjab should be attributed to the split in the Akali Dal and not to the state leadership.

Meeting next week on brown rice
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 30 — A meeting among senior officers of the Punjab Food and Supply department and the FCI will be held in Delhi next week to formulate specifications as regards brown rice.

Mr P.P. Singh, Regional Manager of the FCI, said the Punjab Government had made a request for the preparation of brown rice at the rice mills to avoid disputes with regard to preparation of polished rice and its quality, including decolouring.

As millers will have to prepare only brown rice, the paddy milling process in the state may have to be quickened. The complaints as regards the quality of rice will be minimised and the alleged harassment of millers at the hands of officials of the agencies procuring rice for the Central Pool will also get minimised.

Gupta cancels appointments
From Our Correspondent

FATEHGARH SAHIB, Oct 30 — Mr Suresh Gupta, Organising Secretary of the All-India Congress Sewa Dal, has scrapped all appointments made recently by Dr Harbans Lal, MLA and President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Sewa Dal. A copy of the communication was released to the Press by Mr Shashi Vardhan state Organising Secretary, today.

Mr Gupta has directed reinstatement of all previous office-bearers and holding of workers’ camps at the district level.

GND varsity youth festival results
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, Oct 30 — The local B.B.K. D.A.V. College for Women today won the overall trophy in the university zonal youth festival (literary and fine arts) which concluded at the Guru Nanak Dev University’s Dashmesh Auditorium here this evening. DAV College (Boys), Amritsar, was declared runners-up and DAV College, Jalandhar, won the third position. Other results are as follows:-

Quiz: 1. B.B.K. D.A.V. College for Women (Amritsar), 2. Khalsa College of Education (Amritsar), 3. Hindu Kanya College (Kapurthala).

Debate: 1. Hindu Kanya College (Kapurthala), 2. B.B.K. D.A.V. College for Women (Amritsar) and D.A.V. College (Jalandhar), 3. Apeejay College of Fine Arts (Jalandhar).

Elocution: 1. D.A.V. College (Jalandhar), 2. K.M.V. College (Jalandhar), 3. B.B.K. D.A.V. College for Women (Amritsar).