The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Health, education need of hour: Advani
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Oct 28 — It was VIPs’ galore in the city as the Union Home Minister, Mr Lal Krishan Advani, was on a brief visit to lay the foundation stone of a state of the art ‘Satguru Partap Singh Apollo Hospital’ here today. Besides the Union Sports Minister, Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, the Chief Minister, Punjab, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, his Cabinet colleagues Mr Balram ji Das Tandon, Mr Madan Mohan Mittal, Mr Jagdish Singh Garcha, Mr Manoranjan Kalia, Speaker of the Punjab Assembly, Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal, Deputy Speaker, Mr Sat Pal Gosain and Punjab BJP president, Mr Brij Lal Rinwa, were present to accord welcome to Mr Advani.

Mr Advani observed that education and healthcare were the two main pre-requisites for development of the country and setting up educational and health institutions was the need of the hour. He said internationally acclaimed Indian economist and nobel laureate Dr Amartya Sen had also emphasised that reasonably good education and health care facilities had to be provided to the people to sustain economic growth.

“India is a country with great potential and rich in human resources. Our IT professionals and computer software engineers are being welcomed with open arms all over the world,” the Home Minister maintained. He said healthcare facilities needed to be expanded to bring them within the reach of masses and super speciality centres, like the one coming up in the city, could play a vital role in this regard by making available latest medical facilities at affordable cost to the suffering humanity.

Welcoming Mr Advani, Mr Badal pointed out that ever since the NDA government led by Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee took over at Centre, Punjab, which had been persistently being discriminated against by successive Congress governments, was given a fair deal. “The Centre had allotted many big projects like the oil refinery, international airport in Amrtitsar, science city in Jalandhar and Chandigarh-Ludhiana rail link to Punjab.” The latest goodwill gesture of the Union Government towards Punjab was the Rs 350 crore package for paddy growers, he added.

Stressing the need for providing good quality treatment at a reasonable cost to people, especially in the remote and rural areas, he said, the health cover, even to the poorest of the poor, should be assured. The super speciality hospitals should not only cater to the health needs of the affluent, but should also be open to the economically weaker sections and some percentage of beds, as also other facilities, be reserved for the poor.

Mr Badal paid rich compliments to the Naamdhari sect, which he said, had taken the initiative to bring the premier health institution to the city. “The Naamdhari sect or ‘kukas’ as they are popularly known, had made enormous sacrifices for the sake of the country, right from the time of Baba Ram Singh, the founder of the sect, who had resorted to complete boycott of the British Government and had, in a way, laid the foundation for the freedom movement in the country.” He wanted the Centre to assist in erecting a suitable memorial for veteran freedom fighters and martyrs from Punjab so that the younger generations could draw inspiration and the sense of patriotism from those who had made unique sacrifices for the sake of their motherland.

The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, expressed his happiness that latest medical facilities would be made available by the Apollo Hospital to the people of Punjab. He, however, added that the government and the civic body would have to make extra efforts to develop the kind of infrastructural facilities, that were needed to cope with the increase in population and the influx of people to this city, which was known as industrial capital of the state. He also invited the Apollo group to set up a similar institution in the state of J&K and assured all assistance from the state government for this purpose.

The Union Sports Minister, Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, expressed his concern over the alarming levels of pollution and unchecked population growth. Both of these had to be kept under control, he remarked. While pollution was playing havoc with the health of the urban people, the rising population made it difficult that the fruits of development percolated right down to the under privileged and the weaker sections. Referring to the sacrifices made by a large number of followers of Naamdhari Darbar, led by its founder Baba Ram Singh, he made a fervent plea that all such events should be properly recorded in the history books for the posterity.

In his speech, the chief executive of the Apollo Hospital group, Dr Partap C. Reddy, informed that the proposed hospital in the city, estimated to cost around Rs 75 crore would be ready in about two years time. It would provide totality of healthcare and facilities, available anywhere in the world. The hospital, he added, would be a perfect combination of best of medical talent and state of the art diagnostic and treatment technology.

According to Dr Reddy, himself an eminent cardiologist, the core areas of specialisation in the hospital would be cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, nephrology, urology, orthopaedics, gastroenterology, obstetrics, gynaecology, ophthalmology, ENT, dentistry, general medicine and general surgery.

The chief of the Naamdhari sect Baba Jagjit Singh remarked that the hospital, being set up jointly by the Naamdhari Darbar and the Apollo group, was another step towards service of the mankind. “Through the proposed ‘state of the art’ hospital, the Naamdhari Darbar was striving to realise the dreams of Baba Partap Singh (the father of the present chief),” the Baba said.

Others, who addressed the function were the Punjab BJP president Brij Lal Rinwa, Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal and S.S. Ahluwalia, member of Rajya Sabha while ruling SAD (B) general secretary Balwinder Singh Bhundar, Lala Lajpat Rai, MP and Gurcharan Singh Ghalib, MP were present.

Later, the Union Home Minister unveiled the foundation stone of the hospital, before airdashing to Lucknow to take part in the swearing in ceremony of the new Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Raj Nath Singh, Mr Badal, Dr Farooq Abdullah and the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal also accompanied Mr Advani.

Paddy growers still being exploited: Mann
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Oct 28 — The Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) today alleged that the exploitation of paddy farmers was still continuing and the so called Rs 350-crore package announced by the Union Government had failed to ameliorate the suffering of the farmers. Addressing a news conference after the meeting of the state executive and office-bearers of the party at gurudwara Akalgarh here today, the party president Mr Simranjit Singh Mann pointed out that it was still to be seen whether the relief granted by the Centre would really reach the farmers.

According to Mr Mann, the farmers were still forced to sell their produce below the minimum support price at many placed in Punjab and the millers, as well as the government procurement agencies, were reluctant to purchase the second and third grade paddy. Moreover, the government had fixed the scheduled date of paddy procurement from September 21 and only those farmers, who had sold their produce after this date would be eligible for the compensation, whereas in districts like Amritsar, Ferozepore and Gurdaspur, the paddy arrival was much earlier and majority of the paddy crop was the distress sale, well below the MSP. Even those farmers, who had brought their paddy to mandis after September 21, were not being issued form J, which was necessary for filing claims for compensation.

The Dal (A) chief strongly refuted the claim of Punjab Chief Minister that after the NDA government, with Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee as Prime Minister took over in the Centre, the discrimination towards Punjab had been put to an end. “Sikh youth were still languishing in jails, issues like Chandigarh, river waters and Punjabi-speaking areas were hanging fire, Anandpur Sahib resolution, for which the Akali group had made immense sacrifices had not been implemented, many other big projects granted to Punjab were still to take off.” On what basis Mr Badal claimed that Punjab was being given a fair deal, he asked.

Mr Mann flayed the SAD (B)-BJP Government for what he described as atrocities against the minorities. There had been 32 incidents of attacks against the Christians in Punjab alone, after the SAD (B)-BJP coalition government assumed power in the state.

Expressing his opposition to the barbed wire fencing along the India- Pakistan border, he remarked, in the changing global scenario, countries like Korea, Germany, divided in to two parts and having been agonistic towards each other, for quite some time, were coming together. “Why can’t the two neighbours — India and Pakistan, which were one not long ago, can once again unite?” He replied in the affirmative when asked if he foresaw the unification of the two nations, in view of the persistently hostile attitude of Pakistan towards India, but hastened to add that it was not possible till the BJP was at the helm of affairs.

Giving details of the deliberations of the party meeting held earlier, Mr Mann said the preparedness for forthcoming elections to the SGPC and the Punjab Assembly was reviewed. While discussing the defeat in Sunam byelection, the party decided to form a subcommittee to go in to the reasons for the debacle. He said the members of the subcommittee would be nominated soon. On elections to the SGPC, the party was in favour of forging an alliance or arriving at seat adjustment with like-minded parties, but when asked to elaborate, the party chief said decision to this effect will be taken at appropriate time.

He further informed that a jatha of 101 devotees was proceeding to Pakistan to pay obeisance at Gurudwara Panja Sahib on the occasion of birthday of Guru Nanak Dev. The party planned to send a 5000 strong jatha to Pakistan on the festival of Baisakhi next year.

FCI assures support to paddy farmers
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Oct 28 — The Food Corporation of India (FCI), having already purchased 22.68 lakh tonnes of paddy, out of the total arrivals of around 91.73 lakh tonnes in Punjab mandis, has assured its full support to paddy growers, who had toiled hard to bring self sufficiency in the food sector. But at the same time, it said, quality foodgrains to the consuming states had to be ensured.

According to the FCI Senior Regional Manager Mr D.P. Reddy, as on October 27, the state procurement agencies had collectively purchased 49.92 lakh tonnes and the traders accounted for 19.13 lakh tonnes. In a press release, it was stated that going by the prevailing trend of procurement, the total arrival of paddy in the market was expected to touch 110 lakh tonnes.

In sharp contrast to the current kharif crop, the total paddy arrival during the corresponding period last year, was 102.40 lakh tonnes, out of which the state agencies, the FCI and the millers had purchased 56.22 lakh tonnes, 22.70 lakh tonnes and 23.48 lakh tonnes respectively. The arrivals of paddy, says Mr. Reddy, appeared to be sluggish and lagged behind by about one million tonnes as compared to last kharif crop. At present, the average daily arrival in the state mandis, was to the tune of 2.40 lakh tonnes, which was expected to continue for another week or so and the season might get rounded off by 10th of next month.

Mr Reddy further maintained that the FCI had taken a decision to encourage the rice acceptance through levy route on priority so that the millers could get the working capital for effecting paddy purchase and disburse payments to farmers. So far, about one lakh tonnes of levy rice had been accepted in the state and efforts were on to enter in to custom milling contracts with the interested rice millers in order to achieve optimum utilisation of the milling capacity.

Claiming that adequate storage space was available with the FCI, he explained that 10 lakh tonnes of vacant covered accommodation could be offered to millers for rice deliveries. Further, the state warehousing corporation, with their tie up with the private parties, will provide another 10 lakh tonnes of covered space. The private parties, under contract with the FCI, were also constructing godowns, which would be handed over to FCI in a phased manner by March 2001. The major relief, however, would come from the evacuation of stocks to the order of four lakh tonnes of rice per month in the next six months.

The wheat stocks, lying in the godowns, would also be cleared on priority because the rice acceptance could only take place in covered accommodation. The FCI, Mr Reddy added, had ambitious plans to liquidate the rice stocks, accepted under relaxed specifications in the previous year, so as to create additional storage space to accelerate the pace of rice deliveries.

Farooq confident of getting autonomy
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Oct 28 — While reiterating that he had no objection to the Government of India talking to anyone in Kashmir, the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, today asserted that the autonomy was the only solution to the problem.

Dr Farooq Abdullah who was here to attend the foundation laying ceremony of the Satguru Partap Singh Apollo Hospital in an informal conversation with reporters said, he was nobody to comment whether the Centre should talk to the separatists or not. However, he stressed that the talks can be held within the framework of the Indian Constitution only.

When asked whether it did not amount to imposing conditions for holding talks, the J&K Chief Minister retorted, “There are only two things. You are either for India or against India and it is not the question of putting conditions or not”. He said the Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and will always remain so.

However, he clarified that it was up to the government of India only to decide with whom it should talk. “I am always ready to extend my cooperation”, he added. The Chief Minister claimed that normalcy was returning to Kashmir and anyone was welcome to visit there and see it himself.

Referring to the issue of greater autonomy to J&K, Dr Abdullah asserted that it was the only solution that would bring ultimate peace to Kashmir. He contested the claims that the issue had been consigned to the cold storage. “I stand for the autonomy and we will get it”, he said.

However, Dr Abduallh whose party National Conference is one of the constituent groups of the ruling National Democratic Alliance at the Centre sought to explain the compulsions within the NDA. He pointed out, it was difficult for the BJP, a party which was for total abrogation of Article 370, to reconcile to the demand of greater autonomy.

To another question as where did he fit in the National Democratic Alliance, when BJP was for total abrogation of Article 370, Dr Farooq shot back forcefully raising his fist in air, “you will see they will have to give us the autonomy as there is no way out”.

The J&K Chief Minister also ruled out any snap poll in his state. He claimed that his government was running quite smoothly and it was doing well. He said that situation had been retrieved to a great extent. “Where is the need for going for midterm elections?”, he asked, while adding that, “we have to first complete the panchayat elections, which are overdue”.

Farooq steals the show
Tribune news Service

LUDHIANA, Oct 28 — The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, has the knack for attracting attention wherever he goes. Whether he plays golf or makes manoeuvres in realpolitic he charms and enthralls everyone around. And he lived upto his reputation here in Ludhiana too.

Dr Abdullah was the guest of honour at the foundation laying ceremony of the Satguru Partap Singh Apollo Hospital here. Although it was a star studded show with no less a person than the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, being the chief guest, with the surviving head of the Namdhari sect Satguru Jagjit Singh in the chair and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Union Sports Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa also present.

Farooq Abdullah was the first among the VVIPs to arrive at the function. Everyone recognised him. As all the VVIPs settled down in their chairs, (there were different chairs for different people, not according to their position but according to their stature), Farooq was first to break the silence among the VVIPs. He invited the media photographers to come inside the security D, so that people behind them could have a view of what was going on. While he was yet to complete his invitation, photographers were already inside. The photographers had been kept at a distance by the police, much to their inconvenience and also of those who were sitting behind.

During his speech Dr Farooq Abdullah invited Dr Pratap Reddy of the Apollo Hospitals to start his hospital in Jammu and Kashmir also. “You have already reached Ludhiana, but I do not know how long it will take you to reach Kashmir. Tell me who shall I seek as my guru for prompting you to start a hospital”, he asked Dr Reddy, while referring to Satguru Jagjit Singh on whose invitation and cooperation he has started Apollo Hospital in Ludhiana. He himself had the answer, “probably I will need to make Mr Advani my Guru”, whether it was in the broader context or particularly about getting Apollo to start a hospital in his home state, only Dr Farooq Abdullah knows.

The J&K Chief Minister did not spare his Punjab counterpart by pointing towards the poor shape of roads in the state. He suggested that roads should be repaired in Punjab, particularly in Ludhiana, which was a industrial hub of Punjab.

But the Punjab Chief Minister is no less a match to Mr Farooq Abdullah in wit and humour. While supporting his suggestion that Apollo should start a hospital in J&K also, Mr Badal asked Dr Farooq Abdullah, “what for do you need such a hospital, when your climate is so good that there are no diseases. Moreover, your state produces such type of fruits which keep people perfectly healthy”. That was not all. Mr Badal had a note of advice for Dr Farooq Abdullah, ‘‘I would suggest you first bring peace to Kashmir before bringing hospitals’’, sending the entire audience into fits of laughter.

Last but not least Dr Farooq Abdullah took journalists and Mr O. P. Munjal of the Hero Cycles for a ride simultaneously. When journalists wanted to talk to him, he said, he was in hurry as he had to pick up Himachal Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal in his helicopter for their onward journey to Lucknow to attend the swearing in ceremony of new Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Rajnath Singh. However, when Mr Munjal invited him to visit his factory that was quite close by, he lost no time in accepting the invitation. As the olive green Mercedes was full of people, Dr Farooq Abdullah decided to share the front seat with Mr Munjal. Feeling uncomfortable, he asked the driver to get down, which the latter did obligingly. He stepped on to the driver’s seat and drew away to Hero Cycles himself much to the pleasure of waiting photographers, taking Mr Munjal and company literally for a ride. Mr Dhumal could wait for a while at the airport.

COMMUNITY

Gender bias persists among parents
By Asha Ahuja

LUDHIANA, Oct 28 — Talking to a number of parents from different classes of society, it became apparent that gender bias persists in our society. Most of the mothers have a preference for their sons and love for them surpasses their love for their daughters.

Ms S. Bajaj, wife of a affluent businessman of the city, says, “I have tow daughters and a son. I love all three of them, but I must admit that I have a soft corner for my son. I don’t want to make it obvious, but my actions like making special puddings and snacks to my sons liking show that I care more for him. Everyone teases me about this but I cannot help it. Whereas the girls will go to their husbands’ homes after marriage, only my son will stay with me and offer me security in my old age. My husband, however, loves his daughters more.”

As things prevail in our society, girls start believing right from their childhood that the male of the species is superior. They see their parents rejoicing at the birth of a male child, throwing big parties and presenting gifts to relatives. Such rejoining is usually missing at the birth of a female child. Girls also hear of women being killed for dowry and they see their parents’ agony over finding a suitable match for them. So right from the beginning, they develop an inferiority complex.

Mr Santosh Kumar says he has two daughters and he loves them. He, however, adds, “I never missed having a son till I had a heart attack. My daughters did their best, but running around in the night, meeting the doctors, handling the stress was beyond them. My nephews had to come to my rescue. I have given good education to the girls, and I know that they will be able to handle my business, but I agonise over the thought that my hard-earned money will go to my sons-in-law who will not exactly be members of my family.”

It is our prising that parents ignore the fact boys do not always bring solace to their parents. During childhood, their wish is command to their parents. When they grow up, they become reckless and defy the authority of their parents. Parents in this helpless situation become most unhappy. Mothers turn a blind eye to their sons’ faults. A father says: “I never expected my only son to let me down so badly. I have tried to correct him with love, anger and persuasion, but failed. He has not completed his studies and has not settled down. I am very disillusioned with him.” The mother, however, came quickly to the defence of her son. She said, “he is doing his best. His father had high expectations of him. He should have understood that he was not extraordinarily intelligent. He always found fault with him and discouraged him. I am glad that my son has married the girl of his choice and he is happy.”

Ms Shanti Sarup says: “I have five sons. I am proud of the way I brought them up. Even after their marriage, they show me utmost regard. One has to have the knack to deal with one’s children.

Ms Susie, a young girl, says: “I am sick of my parents’ discrimination between me and my brother. My mother is partial towards my brother.”

Valmiki Sabha threatens action
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Oct 28 — Ms Suman Devi, vice-president of the womens’ wing of Valmiki Sabha, Ludhiana has condemned the city police for brutally beating a Scheduled Caste youth that led to his death. She said the Scheduled Castes would not tolerate the excesses of the state police under the Akali-BJP government on the Dalits of the state. The Dalits will face the excesses by organising themselves, she remarked.

Ms Devi demanded that police cases against the guilty police employees should be registered.

AT THE CROSS ROADS
Killing in the name of religion
by N.S. Tasneem

The great bard, he had been composing his masterpieces in this age, would have compared our world with the theatre of the absurd. More than half a century ago, Pakistan came into existence on the basis of the two-nation theory. The absurdity of this theory was obvious when religion alone could not hold the two parts of that country together and Bangladesh came into existence in 1971. Ultimately the aspirations of the people of a particular region determine their national interests. To superimpose religious bindings over them is a sign of absurd thinking.

Shortly after partition, the people of Jammu and Kashmir expressed their solidarity with the Indian people. The decision was based on ethnic affiliations, historic factors and political convictions. Religious considerations did not figure at that time in any form. Rather, such a decision was a negation of the two-nation theory based on religion. The decision was irrevocable and the demon of communal frenzy had been buried once and for all.

Now to propound the same old theory and to resort to infiltration with a view to employing pressure tactics on the people who have cast their lot with India, smacks of diabolic designs. It is downright absurd to kill innocent people in their homes simply because they have refused to toe the communal line. It is also a sign of insanity to go on pounding with mortar guns the land that has been termed as a paradise on earth. It is a strange method of laying claim to a territory by reducing it to rubble.

The war fought in Kargil and adjoining areas, and the sneaking in of the terrorists into the state in its aftermath, bespeaks volumes of the nefarious methods employed by the enemy country. Of course it is painful to call the part of India that got separated from the mainland 53 years ago as enemy country. It had been envisaged at that time that both the parts of the land would exist like good neighbours, once the irritants have been removed. However, the reverse has happened. Instead of smoothing away the differences, attempts have been made by the political leaders to further alienate the people of both the countries from each other. In the process, the bridges of peaceful coexistence and communal harmony have been destroyed.

To talk of jehad in this age, when the world has made tremendous progress in all the fields of human activity, is nothing else but absurd. It is an attempt to plunge the 20 th century into the abyss of medieval times when the marauding hordes devastated lands and butchered people in the name of a particular faith. To flaunt oneself as a crusader for eliminating the ‘non-believers’ at the time when science and technology have converted the world into a global village is all the more absurd. It is downright ludicrous to don long cloaks and hide dagger’s (read grenades) in them for the purpose of unleashing terror among the unsuspecting people.

The terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country have rudely disrupted the even flow of time. Instead of moving forward with the times, these misguided persons caught in the whirlpool of bigotism, fanaticism and fundamentalism have put a spoke in the wheel of time.

BUSINESS

Import of palm oil flayed
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Oct 28 — The policies of liberal import of palm oil without any consideration for the quality of oil or the interests of farmers and the oil expellers have hit the industry of oil expelling machinery like other small-scale industries of the country. The industry which was growing by leaps and bounds during early nineties is now struggling for its survival because of government's discriminating policies, said Mr Naresh K. Goel, general secretary, Oil Mill Machinery Manufacturers Association, an all-India body representing members from Punjab, Gujarat, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and UP.

The central government’s decision to import palm oil from Malaysia has resulted in the flooding of the market with cheap edible oil, priced at about Rs 18 per litre in comparison to the Indian oil costing between Rs 28-30 per litre. Interestingly, the import of palm oil is banned in Europe and a number of developed countries.

He claims it is not considered fit for human consumption by these countries because of high cholesterol contents in it as compared to vegetable oils. However, the Indian Government has promoted its imports. Consequently, thousands of oil expellers in the country, unable to compete with palm oil have been forced to close down their units. Farmers who used to sow sarson and other oil seed crops had also suffered substantially. They have to sell their crops at very low prices last year.

It may be mentioned that there are about 300 manufacturers of oil extracting machinery in the country, and out of these around 250 are reportedly concentrated in Ludhiana alone. About 10,000 persons are directly or indirectly employed by these units.

“Since ours is a small-scale industry, unorganised and unable to lobby for favourable policies due to different reasons, with the result the government does not treat us in an impartial manner,” said Mr Dharam Kataria, a manufacturer of spare parts for the industry.

MS steel is used as a basic raw material for preparing different types of oil expellers. These expellers used to be supplied to the units spread over whole of the country, even to some of the countries in Africa few years back. However, now, the industry representatives claim, more than 60 per cent of these units have become sick and others are not working to their full capacity.

Mr Surinder Singla, an engineering graduate who had joined his family business five years back is not happy with the present state of affairs. “When I had joined my family’s unit there were so many orders that we were unable to fulfil them even by working in three shifts. Now the situation is such that we are unable even to meet our expenses,” he said.

“We are not asking for any concessions, subsidies or ban on th import of palm oil. However, we should be treated in a free and fair manner. The anti-dumping duty should be imposed on the imported oil that is being dumped in the domestic market at cheap price and without any concerns for the public health. Further, the state government should not impose higher taxes on the industry as compared to the foreign competitors. The rates of raw material and electricity should be made comparable to the international standards,” added Mr Singla, echoing the voice of major industrialists.