The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Arya College managing committee dissolved
Pratinidhi Sabha factions head for showdown
Vimal Sumbly
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 16
In a significant development related to the ongoing controversy over the suspension of the Principal of the Arya College for Boys here, the Punjab Arya Pratinidhi Sabha president, Pandit Harbans Lal, today said that the managing committee of the college, which was headed by BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Lala Lajpat Rai, had been dissolved and it had no locus standi to suspend or remove any of the officials of the college. He called a general body meeting of the sabha in Jalandhar on October 7.

Talking to Ludhiana Tribune over the telephone, Mr Lal said that he took over the charge of the managing committee on September 1 after dissolving the earlier committee. He regretted that the committee which was being dominated by the BJP leaders with Mr Rai as its president and Mr Harbans Lal Sethi general secretary, was misusing power.

Reacting to the arguments that the committee headed by Mr Rai had been constituted by Dr K.K. Pasricha, the working president of the Pratinidhi Sabha, Mr Lal said, Dr Pasricha had no right or authority to constitute the committee. He said Dr Pasricha had been nominated by him (Harbans Lal) and his powers had already been withdrawn.

Mr Lal said he was the duly elected president of the Punjab Arya Pratinidhi Sabha after he was elected by the general body of the sabha. He disclosed that due to the advanced age, which curtailed his movements, he nominated Dr Pasricha as the acting president. And now his (Dr Pasricha's) powers had been withdrawn.

The sabha is the apex body which runs a number of educational institutions in the state. The functioning of these institutions is supervised by the Arya Vidya Parishad, which appoints the managing committees of the individual educational institutions. The present managing committee of the Arya College, Ludhiana, was constituted after Dr Pasricha was nominated as the acting president.

Mr Lal alleged that this was a clear attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party to wrest control of the educational institutions of the Arya Samaj which own property worth crores of rupees. He pointed out decency demanded that Mr Rai and Mr Sethi should have renounced their positions after the committee had been dissolved. "They are doing it with the blessings of the government," he alleged.

On the other hand, Dr Pasricha questioned the authority of Mr Lal to withdraw his powers. He said he was also elected vice-president-cum-working president by the general body of the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, although on the recommendation of the president (Pandit Harbans Lal). Referring to the Arya College controversy, he claimed the managing committee headed by Mr Rai had all the authority as he had constituted it.

Arguing his case he said he had been authorised by the Arya Vidya Parishad to take any decision on the functioning of the educational institutions. "It was after a unanimous resolution of the Arya Vidya Parishad that I was given the powers to constitute the committee and no individual has any authority to withdraw it", he claimed.

Both the factions are already heading for the showdown. While Pandit Harbans Lal has called the general body meeting of the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha in Jalandhar on October 7, Dr Pasricha has called a meeting of the executive committee of the sabha on September 30. As on now the stalemate continues with a few other educational institutions likely to get involved in the ongoing controversy.

Meanwhile, Mrs Rajesh Sharma, whose name has figured in an FIR for alleged embezzlement over the transfer of land today said that Rs 15 lakh had already been credited into the account of the Arya School and it was also mentioned in the FIR. She regretted that some people were deliberately trying to malign the image of the institution and the people involved with their working.

Cases against traders for exposing ‘corrupt’ cops
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 16
The city police has registered cases against two policemen under the Prevention of Corruption Act on the complaint of a trader. However, it has also registered cases against this trader and several others on the charge of attempting to murder one of the accused policemen and obstructing policemen from performing their duty.

Both cases have been registered after yesterday’s incident at Samrala Chowk, where a number of traders had blocked traffic on the Ludhiana-Jalandhar bypass to protest against an extortion bid by a Punjab police head constable and an SPO. The policemen were allegedly trying to extort money from the trader, though he had all the required papers. It seems that the complainants have been targeted for exposing two “corrupt” policemen.

The registration of the case against the traders has spread resentment among the community. It seems that this police action is set to boil into a confrontation between traders and the police. Yesterday, a Kurali-based trader and some other traders had caught head constable Swaran Singh and an SPO, Kulwant Singh, when they were allegedly demanding money to allow traders to take some goods from the place. A large number of traders gathered on the spot and blocked traffic. According to the police, the two policemen were manhandled and pushed around.

Yesterday, some senior police officials had managed to persuade the agitated traders to end their protest and assure them that action would be taken against the policemen. However, traders say that the police also has also registered cases against an unspecified number of protesters for attempting to murder the policemen.

According to an FIR registered at the Focal Point police station, on the complaint of trader Balbir Deewan, cases were registered against Swaran Singh and Kulwant Singh for taking Rs 500 from the complainant 25 days ago and Rs 300 ten days ago, forcibly, to let him take away his goods. Yesterday, these policemen stopped Harshdeep ‘Tinku’, a trader of Kurali village on the spot and demanded money from him as well.

The other traders, including Balbir Deewan, gathered there and blocked the road, after which, the Focal Point police took away the policemen. The policemen had been assigned to be with a van of the District Red Cross and were not supposed to stop any vehicle.

According to the second FIR in this case that was lodged on the complaint of head constable Jaswant Singh of the Vardhman police post, Balbir Deewan, Harshdeep of Kurali village and Tarsem Singh, a Nihang, along with several other persons, tried to kill a policeman yesterday. Cases against these persons have been registered under Sections 307, 353, 186, 268, 291, 148 and 149 of the IPC.

The FIR says that the traders pointed a sword at a policeman during yesterday’ blockade at Samrala Chowk. Mr Vinod Thapar, President of the Knitwear Club and a senior leader of traders, said, “An inebriated Nihang suddenly joined the traders during the protest and put a sword to the neck of a policeman. The traders stopped him and, in doing so, they rather saved the life of the policeman. Traders should not be penalised for this. He said a delegation of traders would meet the city SSP soon and urge him to get the case against the traders withdrawn.

The police said a Nihang had threatened the policemen on the spot with a sword, but the action against the traders had been taken on the basis of a policy decision.

In dope versus hope, will power wins
Asha Ahuja

Ludhiana, September 16
For 20 years, he lived with drugs clouding his mind and his life disintegrating around him. Drugs took Lajpat Rai, now 39, to jails and police torture cells. Yearning for smack made his life a hell. Now, he regrets ruining his precious youth, the productive years of his life.

He joined the Eak Jyot de-addiction programme in Ludhiana, where Pardeep, a reformed drug addict, was the counsellor. Lajpat Rai had earlier joined a de-addiction programme in Central Jail, deciding that it was time to say goodbye to drugs. This Therapeutic Community programme involved prisoners in prayers, meditation and remaining busy. He was made the “family head” for his good behaviour. His mother and wife died of heartbreak when the police took him away.

Once out of jail, he again took to drugs and became almost blind this time. Eak Jyot helped him restore his sight. In his six-month stay at Eak Jyot, he had to take the ‘Art of Living’ course, where he met the architect of the course, Sri Ravi Shankar, whom he followed to Shimla.

Rai was still young when his father died, following which, he had to look after his mother and brothers. He had a job, but he felt that the responsibility was too much for him. In Mumbai, he began taking smack and drug tablets to escape the pressures of life and bad company worsened up the things. When he returned to Delhi, he did not know from where to get the drugs. The withdrawal symptoms were rather painful, which gave his family a hint that he was a drug addict. However, they were still not sure because he was doing his job well and bringing home the pay packet every month.

Lajpat says, “Like most Indian parents, my mother, too, thought that I would quit behaving strangely after my marriage, so, she got me married in 1983. I am, now, father of three teenaged children. My dependence on drugs was growing and I was always short of money, which signalled the advent of the darkest phase of my life as I took to petty thefts and pick-pocketing. Sometimes, my cronies and I would climb up loaded trucks to steal sacks that we used to sell for buying drugs. I do not remember how many times I went to the police station and jail. My family survived on meagre resources. My brothers took care of my children and I was kicked out by my family.”

He felt like an outcast and drifted into the world of crime. He often cursed himself for his lack of control over his life and tried to commit suicide twice. Desperate men do desperate things, so, he attempted a big robbery, was caught and imprisoned for a-year-and-a-half in Central Jail 4 of New Delhi, where drugs were freely available.

He says, “Prison gaurds sell drugs themselves. After a brief therapeutic community course, I took to drugs again. Pradeep has been my mentor, but I disliked him at times for forcing me to give up my laziness. Now, free of addiction, I am working as a yoga teacher in a de-addiction centre, Aman Foundation Nasha Mukti Kendra in New Delhi. My children are in a hostel. I want my experience to make parents aware that drug addiction is a serious problem. If their children are on drugs, they should take them to Nasha Mukti Kendras.”

“Youth is taking to drugs as these are easily available, so, as long as they have money, they will buy these. Once the money runs out, they will steal and get involved in anti-social activities. The entire society will have to get together to eradicated the drug menace,” says this reformed addict.

Saturday night fever for Mika, Dolly, Shankar
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 16
The Saturday night in the Lodhi Club here was full of fun as Punjabi pop singers, Mika and Dolly Singh, entertained the audience for hours.

The club members and their guests enjoyed every moment of the event. Children could be seen dancing to the tunes of the latest Mika numbers.

Though, the guests had to wait long to see Mika on stage, the crowd welcomed him with a big applause. He presented his latest number ‘Main Ik Munda Pind Vich Rehanda’ and some ‘boliyan’ on public demand.

Dolly Singh entertained the audience continuously with her numbers like ‘Battiyan Bujhaye Rakh Di’. It was her second performance in the city and people enjoyed every song sung by this Punjabi damsel. Mr S.K. Sandhu, Deputy Commissioner, was the chief guest on the occasion.

Meanwhile, the Sutlej Club also organised a musical nite on its premises here on September 15 featuring a live performance by Shankar Sawhney.

Though, the programme began slightly later than expected, guests kept their patience and stayed on to enjoy the show.

A disciple of Kirana Gharana, Shankar opened the performance with his song ‘Macchli’. Children danced to the tune of his latest number, ‘Kuri Kurmuri’. Soon afterwards, he began mixing Hindi and Punjabi numbers. The audience enjoyed the songs ‘Bhumro Bhumro’ and ‘Dholi Taro Dhol Baaje’.

On public demand, Shankar presented a ‘Mirza’. The crowd warmed up gradually and a number of couples took to the dance floor when Shankar came up with some of the numbers from his album ‘Kudiyaan’. Shankar was accompanied by his dance troupe all the time.

Mr S.K. Sandhu, Deputy Commissioner, was the chief guest on the occasion. Mr A.S. Chawla, General Secretary of the club, said another musical nite would be held in the club on September 17.

CEOs discuss challenges posed by globalisation
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 16
A meeting was organised by the Ludhiana Management Association (LMA), here yesterday in an attempt to build a launching pad from where industrialists and professionals could face challenges being posed by deregulation and globalisation. This was the second meet after the induction of the new management committee of the LMA under the presidentship of Mr Rajinder Gupta and general secretary, Mr V.K. Goyal.

The meeting was attended by senior professionals, industrialists, entrepreneurs, bankers, academicians, senior executives and students.

Mr Goyal, while giving details about the subject of the seminar said, "A majority of the companies in the West have passed through the first phase of re-engineering and have moved to the issue of growth.

Today CEO's agendas has moved beyond cost reconstructing to gearing up for growth and to manage the post re-engineered enterprises. Present-day generation is more actively focused on value creation than on cost reduction. The focus is on strengthening those very processes that are critical for enabling growth in human resources development, better value through operations, product and service orientation, organisation learning and knowledge management etc."

Mr Arvind Raj Arora, vice-president, ECS Limited during the meeting emphasised on the role of chief executive in bringing about the necessary changes towards making the organisation a world class and great organisation. He addressed two critical issues viz. competence and capacity. Elaborating on these, he said, "Competence tells you how far you can go, whereas capacity tell you what you can do."

K. Jayaraman, Chief Consultant , ECS Limited presented ideas and concepts related to realising value through operations. He focussed on issues faced by the industry in the today's world.

During the meeting, case studies were cited by members present. Senior professionals shared their experiences towards bringing necessary changes within their respective organisations.

Complementing on the need for various productivity techniques and HT processes explained by the consultants from ECS, Mr Gupta added, “Introduction of new skills are required to meet present challenged and meet customer demand.

We need even better tools in terms of processes and techniques to integrate with the talent of our young professionals for a bette tomorrow.

Mr Mahesh Munjal, vice-president, LMA, extended his vote of thanks to the consultants from the ECS, members and other senior industrialists and professionals. He maintained that change is something imperative and the organisations need to adapt themselves to the changing times.

Sainiks burn Bukhari’s effigy
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 16
In protest against the statement of Maulana Ahmad Shah Bukhari, Shahi Imam of Delhi, that India will have to face serious consequences if it helps the USA in its war against Afghanistan, the Shiv Sainiks owing allegiance to Bal Thackeray burnt the effigy of the maulana at Chowk Ghanta Ghar here this afternoon.

Earlier, the Shiv Sainiks, led by district chief Sandeep Mittal and state spokesman Pawan Sharma, staged a protest march that started from Chowk Division No 3 and passed through Ghaas Mandi and Chowk Girjaghar.

Addressing the Shiv Sainiks at chowk Ghanta Ghar, leaders of the Hindu outfit said that they would not allow Jagjit Singh Chohan to hold his proposed rally in favour of Khalistan at Tanda on September 17. Both Shahi Imam and Jagjit Singh , who were giving anti-India statements and indulging in anti-national acts should be asked to leave the country immediately and their citizenship cancelled so that nobody else dares to speak against the country on its soil.

If the Shahi Imam had so much of love for Afghanistan, he should leave India and start living in that country. It was due to people like him that dreaded enemies of humanity like Osama bin Laden were getting encouragement, he added. The Shiv Sena would not allow any Indian to live in the country and speak in favour of Pakistan or Afghanistan and would not rest till such people were driven out of the country. Violence may also be used to realise this objective of the Shiv Sena, they added.

Mr Sandip Mittal, in his address, said that if the Punjab Government did not ban tomorrow’s proposed rally in support of Khalistan at Tanda, it would be assumed that the ruling Akali-BJP combine was lending tacit support to Jagjit Singh Chohan.

Slogans decrying terrorism, the Shahi Imam, Jagjit Singh and Khalistan and glorifying India were raised at the rally.

COMMUNITY

IYC activists burn Laden’s effigy
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 16
Activists of the Indian Youth Congress (urban development cell), led by its chairman, Mr Pawan Dewan, today took out a massive procession here to express their solidarity with the people of the USA in their fight against terrorism. The activists also set on fire an effigy of Osama bin Laden, a Saudi millionaire based in Afghanistan and the prime suspect in Tuesday’s bombing in Washington and New York.

The Youth Congress activists shouted slogans against bin Laden, the Taliban and Pakistan, who is reportedly their main supporter. The processionists started from the Congress office where they observed a two-minute silence in memory of those killed in the bombing. The rally concluded at the Clock Tower where effigy of Osama bin Laden was set on fire. They were carrying banners and placards having messages for the people of the USA. The placards reflected the anger and resentment against terrorism already prevailing in this country.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Dewan said it was high time all peace loving and democratic nations across the globe joined hands with each other to crush terrorism. He said the terrorists have proved that they can strike anywhere anytime and against any country, no matter how strong and powerful that may be.

He called for a joint and comprehensive effort by the USA and India to wipe out this threat. The government should come forward with open support for the US Government and provide all cooperation and assistance in its war against terrorism. He observed that the people of India were better placed than anyone else in the world to understand and appreciate the threat of terrorism as they were also its victims.

He also demanded that the role of Pakistan should be thoroughly probed, as it is one of the few countries in the world, which has been supporting the terrorist regime of Taliban in Afghanistan. “Pakistan should be held equally responsible for its role all these years”, he observed.

Prominent among those who participated in the rally included Mr Akshay Bhanot, Mr Subash Rajasthani, Mr Bhupinder Singh Grewal, Jaswinder Singh Sabi, Jarnail Singh Grewal, Kala Jain Nakar and Navnesh Malhotra.

Rice millers threaten stir
Our Correspondent

Sahnewal, September 16
The Punjab Rice Millers Association has threatened to launch an agitation against the Centre and the state government to in protest against the non-implementation of its demands. It has given an ultimatum of 10 days in this regard.

The meeting and rally in this regard were held by the district president and almost all the members related to Punjab Rice Mills under the presidentship of Mr Tarsem Saini at Garden Palace here yesterday.

Mr Harish Devgan, patron, Mr Brij Mohan Julka, president, All-India Association, Mr Rajesh Kumar Rangu, general secretary, Mr Raghbir Chand Thanedar, district president, Sangrur, Mr Roshan Lal, press secretary, Mr Parmod, district president, Jalandhar, Mr Balwinder Singh, district president, Gurdaspur, Mr Harjit Singh Bholuwala, chairman, Mr Subhash Sondhi, general secretary, and Mr Govind Goyal, district president, Patiala, were among those who addressed the gathering.

They demanded that the out-turn ratio of rice out of paddy was very less. It should not be more than 64 per cent as in the previous year. They also demanded abolition of minimum monthly charges by the PSEB and the ending of the cases of arbitration against the millers of Punjab by Punsup.

Odyssey to snowy heights
Naveen S. Garewal
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 16
They have done it by sheer grit. They have cycled to snowy heights to touch the towering Karakoram range via Saichen. To reach the heights of Karakoram is no ordinary feat. It requires determination and willpower.

For Gaurav Sharma of Churu in Rajasthan and Gaurav Sethi of Ludhiana, adventure is in their blood. They had always dreamt of doing big things. With their bicycle ride through 3,500 kilometres of treacherous track up to the height of 21,500 feet, braving a temperature as low as minus 18, they are already in record books. They did it in a record period of 24 days.

Sharma and Sethi proclaim with confidence that they always wanted to do something different, so different that others might consider it impossible. They resolved to do the difficult, as the word impossible does not exist for them.

They are perhaps the youngest cyclists in the world to have achieved this feat. In fact the idea of making a world tour had occurred to them but that was something many others had already done. So they embarked upon an odyssey into the skies.

The task was gigantic and it took them about a year to prepare themselves for it. They had to arrange permits and passes since they had to cross the borders.

The expedition was flagged off at Churu by cricketer Robin Singh on August 15. The purpose was to pay tributes to the martyrs of the India-China war of 1962. It would have taken them 51 days to complete the expedition. But they cycled continuously and completed it in 24 days. When they touched the Siachen glacier on September 7, they created a world record.

For Sharma, achieving great things is not new. His name already features in the Guinness Book of World Records and the Limca Book of Records for his solo expedition from Churu to Khardungla via Kargil, a distance of 2,500 kilometres. Besides, both the boys are good sportsmen. While Sharma is a national player of canoeing and kayaking, Sethi is a state level swimmer.

The two adventurists got due support from their parents which they acknowledge with pride. They were provided with special cycles by Atlas Cycles.

Sharma and Sethi are expecting their names to be listed in the Guinness Book of World Records and have already dispatched the relevant documents to Guinness officials. But they do not want to stop here. They do want to go around the world. They also want to scale the Mount Everest.

The duo had met at a State Swimming Championship at Pong Dam three years ago and were impressed by each other’s adventurous spirit. Sethi is a professional photographer and runs the family’s studio in the city, while Sharma is in the second year of Hardware Engineering at Churu.

Sethi disclosed that before he undertook the journey he had not ridden a bicycle for eight years.

Seminar on free legal assistance
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 16
Eighty per cent of the population can avail the benefits of free legal aid by approaching the Legal Services Authority, said Mr S.S. Arora, District and Sessions Judge-cum-Chairman Legal Services Authority, Ludhiana. He was addressing a seminar organised by the Legal Services Authority to create awareness among masses about free legal assistance.

Mr Arora said that any woman, industrial worker, person belonging to Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, mentally sick person, person in custody, persons affected by big calamities or any person whose annual income is less than Rs 30,000 is entitled to get benefits of free legal aid provided under the Legal Services Authority Act.

On this occasion he appealed to the judicial officers, employees and lawyers to do their duties honestly and with integrity so that aggrieved persons may get speedy and fair justice and their belief in judicial system is strengthened.

Rising population is the root cause of increasing litigation, crime rate and poverty in society, said Mr B.S. Mehndiratta, Additional Sessions Judge, in his inaugural speech.

Mr B.K. Mehta, Additional Sessions Judge, Ludhiana, claimed that the very idea of creating the Legal Services Authority had gained momentum and become a movement. He said those who apprehend getting plunged into the pool of litigation could approach lok adalats even at pre-litigative stage.

Mr A.K. Sharma, Additional Sessions Judge, stressed that only committed lawyers should be appointed for contesting the cases under the Legal Services Authority rules because it is often seen that lawyers do not turn up in courts at proper time in free legal aid cases.

Mr Harish Rai Dhanda, president District Bar Association, Ludhiana, and senior advocate K.K. Jain highlighted the need to prevent malpractices in judicial system. Mr Dhanda claimed that lack of judicial officers and infrastructure is responsible for delay in justice. If justice is delivered in time, there will be no need of lok adalats.

Mr Surjit Singh, Additional PP of the Legal Services Authority, Member Secretary, District Legal Services Authority, Mr J.S. Chouhan, Civil Judge Senior Division Ludhiana, Chief Judicial Magistrate, Arunvir Vashisht, Additional Session Judges — Mr G.S. Sran, G.R. Banyal and Mr H.S. Madan were also present on the occasion.