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| Friday, July 28, 2000, Chandigarh, India |
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Kaale
Kachchewale kill man, injure wife LUDHIANA Kamikkar Singh, 57, an ex-serviceman employed as security guard in a bank near Raikot, was killed and his wife Balbir Kaur (55) was seriously injured, when five to six members of the kaale kachchewale gang struck at their house last night. It is learnt that the couple was alone in the house as their 16-year-old son Kamaljit Singh had gone to visit relatives in Akalgarh village. The couple was sleeping on charpoys in the verandah and the assailants are said to have entered from the fields situated behind the house. The victims were first hit with iron rods and then dragged and hit on the head with bricks that were lying nearby. Later the gang ransacked the entire house, including the almirahs and trunks and fled by the same route. When the incident was discovered in the morning and the police summoned, sniffer dogs led the police to a distributary beyond the fields behind of the house of the victims. Tyre marks of a four-wheeler were also detected at the spot. The incident was discovered in the morning around 6 am, when the injured, Balbir Kaur, came to her senses and rushed to the house of a neighbour, Karnail Singh. She banged at the door of our house continuously and we got scared. We peeped through a window and seeing an injured Balbir Kaur, rushed out to help her, informed Amarjit Kaur, wife of Karnail Singh. She then raised the alarm and soon, the entire village got to know of the incident. The police was summoned and senior police officers led by SSP Kuldeep Singh reached the spot. Balbir Kaur, in the meantime, was rushed to CMC, and is stated to be in a serious condition. Later, in a statement issued to the press, the SSP informed that 13 persons had been put on thikri phera and police personnel also patrolled the area. In fact, one of the Thikri nakas manned by a nephew of the deceased, was quite close to the scene of the crime. He also said that the police was carrying out search operations in the adjoining areas to check for any suspicious elements and around 20 suspects had been caught for interrogation. Search at the nearby railway stations of Jassowal and Gill and in the jhuggi settlements around the area is also being carried out, he added. |
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Looters
of passengers arrested LUDHIANA, July 27 The police has achieved a major success with the arrest of eight members of a gang, including a woman, involved in drugging and looting train passengers. In a special operation, a team of the CIA staff led by Inspector Maninder Bedi arrested various members of the gang from Islamganj, Isa Nagri, Amar Pura and Hargobind Nagar. Three of the accused were arrested by the police when they came out of a cinema hall late past night. The Superintendent of Police (detective squad), Mr Gurkirpal Singh, in a press conference here today, said the gang which had become active past year, had robbed various train passengers of Rs 3,66,000. The accused Raj Kumar, Satish Kumar, Onkar Singh, Harjinder Singh, Jaspal Singh, Narinder Kumar, Paramjot Singh and Labh Kaur had also been planning to loot a liquor vend near Simlapuri past night. Two country-made pistols and one knife was seized from them. The kingpin of the gang, Raj Kumar, a brother of the Anti-corruption Council chief, Raj Rani, while talking to mediapersons after his arrest, said he had learnt the tricks of the trade from Dinesh Kumar of Phagwara. He used to work in a hosiery unit along with another accused, Jaspal Singh. "Dinesh taught us how to befriend persons before drugging them with Ativan 2 mgs tablets (drug for lowering the blood pressure). We used to mix five tablets in each of our victims' cold drink, tea or eatable. Twenty minutes after taking the drug, the victim would become unconscious for 17 hours," said Raj Kumar. A police party had also been sent to Phagwara to arrest Dinesh Kumar, but had returned without success. Some other members of the gang are also likely to be arrested soon. Inspector Maninder Bedi said, "The interrogation of the accused revealed that they had been operating in the Sealdah Express, Shalimar Express and Jhelum Express mainly. They used to operate in groups of four." He said the gang would first go to Jammu and on its way back, would find a potential victim. After buying drinks or eatables for this person from the Pathankot railway station, the group would mix the drug in these and loot the person. All the accused never boarded a train without a ticket. While Raj Kumar made Rs 1,02,000 this way in the past five months, Jaspal made Rs 51,5000, Onkar Singh Rs 31,000, Satish Kumar Rs 21,5000, Labh Kaur Rs 25,000, Harjinder Singh Rs 40,000 and Narinder Kumar Rs 29,000. All the accused have been booked under Sections 399 and 402 of the IPC. Seven packets of Ativan tablets and Rs 6,997 have also been seized from them. |
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Liquor is
cheaper by the roadside LUDHIANA The current cold war between the old, established liquor cartel and the new group of vend contractors has warmed the cockles of their hearts. For now they can easily buy a bottle of country liquor for just Rs 50 as against the stipulated rate of Rs 80 and a bottle of Indian made foreign liquor for Rs 100 as against the vend rate of Rs 150 or so. It is learnt that the old cartel, known as the Garcha group, is selling these liquors at slashed rates in order to attract most of the business, thus threatening the very existence of the vends owned by the new group of liquor contractors. I have been watching an interesting drama for the past three days or so near the Ghanta Ghar in the heart of the city. About a hundred metres towards the railway station side is a country liquor shop owned by one of the contractors of the new group. Rates Rs 22 for a nip (quarter), Rs 42 for a pint (half) and Rs 80 for a bottle are prominently displayed. But there are virtually no customers at this shop at any time of the day. Only those who are not daily drinkers and those who are relatively new to the town visit this shop. But travel about 100 metres towards the Mata Rani Chowk and find another country liquor shop, opposite the Minerva airconditioned market, which is owned by the Garcha group. Here, too the rates displayed are the same. But to all intent and purposes the rate-list is meant, not for the customers, but for the excise inspectors. Though here too, no customers are seen at the vend window, business is nevertheless brisk. Hordes of customers wait for their stuff a little away to the right and left of the shop. These persons are the regular customers who know that they are going to get a bottle for just Rs 50, which is only Rs 8 more than the price of a pint. Some of these persons carry paper chits with coded markings which they pass on to the man attending on them on the roadside. But in the evenings, say after 6 oclock, the open sale by the roadside near Mata Rani Chowk (in front of City Heart Hotel) has to be seen to be believed. Uniformed cops sit around and move about without taking any notice of the proceedings. I even saw a couple of them waiting in a nearby tea shop while their messenger was buying a bottle from a mobile vend, a three-wheeler, parked in front of City Heart Hotel. |
PAU experts treat dystocia in a cow LUDHIANA, July 27 A high-yielding crossbred cow of a progressive farmer was brought to the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Punjab Agricultural University for relieving dystocia today. The cow worth Rs 30,000 had a normal pregnancy but suffered from dystocia at the time of parturition. The farmer tried to pull the foetus out, in the pursuit of which the foetus died. Subsequently, a thorough clinical examination of the case revealed that the birth passage of the cow was relatively narrow. The dead and putrefied foetus was delivered through a caesarean section by Dr Sushil Prabhakar, Dr H.P.S. Kochhar and Dr S.P.S. Ghuman of the department. This was one of about 150 such cases brought to the veterinary clinics each year for relieving dystocia animals. If brought in time, both the offspring as well as the mother could be saved. However, in delayed cases the foetus is invariably dead. In most cases, the foetus is delivered through manipulation of retained/obstructing fetal parts. In cases where the birth passage is normal but the foetus cannot be delivered normally, fetotomy is conducted in which the dead foetus is taken out by cutting it in smaller parts. Several cases of dystocia are corrected by caesarean section, which is quite successful if conducted well in time. The survival of the dam, however, decreases with the delay in operation. The farmers are, therefore, advised that animals having delivery problems should be presented to qualify veterinarians at the earliest possible so that the foetus as well as the mother could be saved. The death of a pregnant animal at the time of delivery causes huge economic losses to the farmers in terms of loss of the calf, the dam and milk which is expected on parturition. Dr A.S. Nanda, said the Department of Animal Reproduction, gynaecology and Obstetrics was the best institute in India with expertise in obstetrics. It has been recognised as the centre of advanced studies in veterinary. gynaecology and reproduction by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. |
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Torchlight procession marks Vijay Divas LUDHIANA The participants were carrying placards with messages of tributes to the martyrs and greetings on the first anniversary of victory in Kargil. Various social and religious organisations joined the procession and showered flower petals all along the route. Prominent among those who participated in the procession were the General Secretary of district BJP unit, Mr Rajinder Bhandari; state-unit office-bearers, Mr Balbir Chand Kapila, Mr Anil Sarin, Mr Suresh Verma, Mr Kishan Gupta, Mr Pran Bhatia and Mr Ramesh Sharma. |
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AT THE CROSSROADS Jagdev Singh Jassowal, lovingly called 'The Ambassador of Punjabi Culture,' is always in the limelight. He is seen either sailing ahead of others towards the arch of victory or burning his boats ceremoniously on the shore of disenchantment. He has been down many a time but has never been out. He has emerged stronger after every setback on the political front. But in the field of Punjabi culture, he has conquered new domains with the each passing year. There is a longing in the hearts of the people to share with one another the glorious moments of togetherness. The reason for this is the void that has been created by the machine age in the lives of the people of all walks of life. Estrangement from society and, with the passage of time, from his own inner self has converted the modern man into an automaton. In an effort to find his roots, he has now associated himself with his cultural moorings. He is feeling nostalgic for his lost identity and craves for the fulfillment of his primordial desires. In this scenario, it is quite easy to comprehend the reason for the cultural renaissance in Punjab. The folk songs, folk dances, folk tales and folklore are now holding sway over the minds of the people. Out of these currents and crosscurrents of Punjabi culture has emerged a figure that is fully conscious of the aspirations of the common folk. Jagdev Singh Jassowal is acting as the centripetal force to bring together all that is the best in the culture of this land of five rivers. He has himself come a long way from being swept off his feet by the ''mere rhyme and rhythm'' to the sobering effect of ''the still, sad music of humanity.'' During the past two decades, his concept of identifying the birthday of Prof. Mohan Singh with the cultural mela has taken firm roots. Jagdev Singh was born on April, 1935, at Jassowal (Ludhiana). He received his postgraduate education at Government College, Ludhiana, and Mahendra College, Patiala. Later, he got his LL.B. degree from Aligarh University. From 1980 to 1985, he was an MLA and in that capacity was appointed Chairman, Punjab Forest Corporation and Punjab Dairy Development Corporation. He also held the post of Adviser, Punjab Youth Welfare Board. During his political career, he worked as General Secretary, Akali Dal, as well as Vice-President, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. In a way, he has seen both the sides of the hedge. Still, his childlike curiosity impels him to seek a newer world. He gets its glimpses when he visits his village Jassowal to rediscover his lost childhood. In exasperation, some people consider him a poor judge of men. The reason is not far to seek. During cultural festivals, persons with divergent views and even at cross-purposes gather under his canopy. His patronising attitude to them is sometimes quite baffling. The fact, however, is that he may seemingly be indulgent to all of them, but in his heart of hearts, he knows the sincerity or hypocrisy of each and every individual. He may have read many books but he has read still more the faces of the people around him. He never passes judgement in a hurry. Interestingly, he enjoys being deceived time and again. In the words of Majaz Lucknavi- Mujh ko ehsaas-e-freb-e-rung-o-boo hota raha Main magar phir bhi freb-e-rung-o-boo khata raha (I had been all the time conscious of the deceit of colour and fragrance. Still I allowed myself to be deluded with colour and fragrance). Jagdev Singh Jassowal, Chairman, Prof Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation, has held aloft the banner of Punjabi culture in foreign countries also. He is leaving for Canada on August 1 for participation in the International Prof Mohan Singh Punjabi Cultural Festival to be held on August 6 in Surry (British Columbia). Pargat Singh Grewal who is President, Prof Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation, will accompany him. This function, expected to be the biggest in North America, will be presided over by Mr Ujjal Dosanjh, Prime Minister of British Columbia. Mr Sahib Singh Thind and Mr Gurinder singh will be hosting this historic meet. N.S.Tasneem |
Opium seized LUDHIANA A case under Sections 18, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused.
One killed: One person was killed when a PRTC bus bearing a registration number PB-11N-0672 overturned when it hit a footpath. Vimal Kumar, a resident of Katani Kalan village, died on the spot and a case under Sections 279 and 304-A of the IPC has been registered against the bus driver, Ravi Kant. In another accident, a person was injured when he was hit by an tractor-trailer on the Kohara - Sahnewal road on Tuesday.He was rushed to the Civil Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on
Wednesday. A case under Section 304-A of the IPC has been registered. |
Country's first branded
rice bran cooking oil LUDHIANA Mr A.R. Sharma, Managing Director of A.P. Solvex Limited, told a press conference here today that research throughout had proved that oil produced from rice bran was an ideal cooking medium for effective heartcare and overall human nutrition. What was holding up its production in India so far was the development of a failsafe refining technique with the result that rice bran oil was used mostly in the production of toilet soap. The technique which had been developed by him had been approved, among others, by famous companies like Hindustan Lever. He had also applied for a patent. Mr Sharma pointed out that the use of healthy cooking oil was a controversial subject. "The ideas keep on changing as new evidence accumulates. It was generally believed earlier that polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) prevented coronary heart disease (CHD) by lowering blood cholesterol and the dietary advice was to use vegetable oils which have PUFA such as sunflower oil and safflower oil. In due course of time evidence began to accumulate that too much intake of PUFA had the undesirable effect of reducing the good cholesterol's (HDL) and may even cause cancer. In this light the recent recommendations are for SFA, MUFA and PUFA. "Rice bran oil is the only oil which, besides having balanced fatty acid composition, is rich in natural anti-oxidants and beneficial micronutrients with scientifically proven anti-ageing, anti-cancer, anti-dandruff and skin improving properties. Oryzanol uniquely found in rice bran oil is well-known for its scientifically proven beneficial impact on raising good cholesterols (HDL) while reducing bad cholesterols (LDL), particularly the triglycerides." Rice bran oil is extensively used in Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan and Thailand as a premium edible oil. In Japan, rice bran oil is more popularly known as a "heart oil". In recent years, US scientists have also shown a tremendous interest in the cholesterol lowering properties of rice bran oil. Although India is the second largest producer of rice in the world after China, so far rice bran oil produced in the country had been sent for industrial purposes only. A very small quantity is being refined for direct cooking purposes in some of the southern states. Multinational giants like Monsanto (USA) are planning to produce branded rice bran oil in India. But A.P.Solvex claims to have taken a lead over the multinationals by producing country's first branded rice bran cooking oil through the physical refining process keeping all the natural micro-nutrients in tact. |
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Debittering citrus fruits LUDHIANA Due to high volumes of production waste and want of suitable preservation methods of producing non-bitter citrus juices, the Indian citrus industry is still waiting in the wings. The Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni (Solan), piloted a large-scale study in the field of debittering technology. Potential areas for the expansion of citrus fruit consumpton such as kinnow, orange, etc. in north India have several other problems like lack of pre-cooling and cold storage infrastructure facilities, low prices due to seasonal gluts and stem-puncturing. "Preservation of citrus juices is also very difficult because they go bitter within four hours of extraction," says Mr Sanjeev Tyagi, a scientist at the CIPHET. Flavonoid and limonoid are the two chemicals responsible for bitterness in juice. These chemicals are found in the cellulose material of the fruit tissues. A lot of work has been done for tempering these chemicals but still the ideal technique is nowhere in sight. ''Adsorption'' is one of the best techniques available, but the main constraint is the selection of a proper adsorbent so that the flavour and colour remain intact during the removal of flavonoid and limonoid. The problem of bitterness can also be tackled effectively with the optimisation of variable parameters like pH, temperature, dose of adsorbent, etc. But the search for an ideal wayout is still on. |
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From shoe maker to hotelier LUDHIANA Four decades later, from a shoe shop, they have risen to be a hotelier, owner of two restaurants, and are running a beauty parlour. Their success story has been years of dedicated hard work, perseverance and
patience. They have been born and brought up in India. For three generations, they have been living here. India is their homeland and their sons, Wong and Fang, can talk fluently in Punjabi. Hupley started his shoe shop in Ludhiana. Behind their shop was their small one- room
house. He used to design the shoes and her wife help him to stitch the shoes. In the beginning, people found their handmade shoes expensive. Gradually their business picked up. Mrs Meng Lan says, "Sometimes when there used to be heavy order, specially in the winters, we hardly found time to sleep. We worked till the wee hours of the morning followed by the harsh routine of the next day". Later, they shifted their shop to the Deepak Cinema road and took a room across to live in. Chinese have dexterous fingers. So they decided to open a beauty parlour, the first parlour in the main city. Mrs Hupley's sister came from Calcutta to manage it. Their daughters (now in Canada) used to learn from their aunt and help her. Soon they were proficient and moved into the existing parlour. Then they decided to open a Chinese restaurant and named it Hong Kong. Mrs Hulpey now worked as a cook in the restaurant and also rolled out noodles. When they opened the restaurant, they never knew it would be so successful that it would help to build a hotel -Great Wall. Now at the age of 70 and 64, the couple never like to sit idle. Mrs Hupley supervises the hotel and the restaurant. Mr Hupley advises them about everything. The couple recently visited six provinces of China in 1992 to see their
property. They liked the place but Ludhiana is their home. Their only regret is that the Indian Government does not give them Indian citizenship. According to them, the government grants citizenship to only those Chinese who are born after 1950. |
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Toyota not to make new model for India LUDHIANA This was stated here today by Mr Sachio Yamazaki, Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor Ltd. He said the company was still studying the Indian market and a decision would be taken after the report of the study became available. Mr Yamazaki was talking to newsmen after attending a meeting of Toyota dealers of the region. He said the response to the Toyota's introductory model, Qualis, had been better than expected. It was selling steadily in all parts of the country. Initially, the response was very good in the southern region. Now, the north too had begun to record good sales. The Rs 700-crore Toyota factory was now working in double shifts to meet the demand for Qualis. The feedback from the customers was that they were generally satisfied with the performance of the vehicle though some felt that its shape could be better. But it was not easy to change the shape of the vehicle. Mr Yamazaki said Toyota was looking at the Indian auto market up to 10 years ahead and search for a new model would end only after all factors were taken into consideration. |
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