H A R Y A N A

13 BKU activists released
Jind, June 11
The local police today released 13 Bharatiya Kisan Union activists, including senior leaders such as Mr Mohinder Singh Ghirana, Mr Ramphal Kandela, and Mr Nafe Singh. Others who have been released are Mr Daryao Singh, Mr Dalbir Gulkani, Mr Subhash Ghimana, Mr Dhara Singh, Mr Randhir Singh, Mr Pradip Gulkani, Mr Kapura, Mr Prem Singh, Mr Badan Singh and Mr Dhupa Kandela.

Jagmohan to review research on Saraswati
Chandigarh, June 11
The Union Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister, Mr Jagmohan, will visit Haryana tomorrow to take stock of the research conducted so far to trace the origin and course of the sacred river Saraswati by presiding over a seminar to be organised in Yamunanagar on the theme “Research on River Saraswati and Possibilities” and Haryana’s historical and cultural heritage.

Panchayat orders couple to divorce
Fatehabad, June 11
In an incident reminiscent of the medieval era, a mahapanchayat of Beniwal Khap from 52 villages ordered a couple to get divorced within a fortnight as the panchayat considered their marriage “socially bad”. The mahapanchayat would meet again in case the couple failed to comply with its decision.

Three pilgrims feared drowned
Kurukshetra, June 11
Three pilgrims, who were travelling on the roof of the Jind-Kurukshetra 4JNK train, are feared to have drowned in the Bhakhra-Narwana branch canal, near Mirzapur village, 5 km from here yesterday while a number of them were injured.

Lifting of ban on Pak planes flayed
Ambala, June 11
The president of the Haryana unit of the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front, Dr Viresh Shandilya, today condemned the decision of the Union Government to lift the ban on allowing Pakistani planes to fly over Indian airspace.

Youth missing for 9 years traced
Ambala, June 11
A nine-year-old case of a missing youth has been solved by the police in Naraingarh. The Superintendent of Police, Ambala, Mr Manoj Yadava, said the youth’s father had got registered a case in this regard, and as a result two persons — Gurinder Singh and Preetam Singh — were facing trial.

Fruit plants for Eco Club members
Chandigarh, June 11
The Haryana Government has decided to give five fruit plants each to 95,000 members of the Eco Clubs constituted in the state. A decision to this effect was taken at the third meeting of the State Steering Committee constituted for the monitoring of the National Green Corps here today.

13 BKU activists released
Tribune News Service

Jind, June 11
The local police today released 13 Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) activists, including senior leaders such as Mr Mohinder Singh Ghirana, Mr Ramphal Kandela, and Mr Nafe Singh. Others who have been released are Mr Daryao Singh, Mr Dalbir Gulkani, Mr Subhash Ghimana, Mr Dhara Singh, Mr Randhir Singh, Mr Pradip Gulkani, Mr Kapura, Mr Prem Singh, Mr Badan Singh and Mr Dhupa Kandela. They were booked by the police in April in connection with the violent incident at Kandela village in December last year.

Yesterday, the police had discharged Mr Mohinder Singh Ghirana, Mr Ramphal Kandela and Mr Daryao Singh who were booked in another case filed on June 16, 2000.

Mr K. K. Rao, SP of Jind, said proceedings against those BKU leaders who were declared proclaimed offenders had also been withdrawn. These BKU leaders are Mr Ghasiram Nain, president of the BKU, Mr Bajinder Singh Billu, president of the BKU in Hisar, Mr Dharamvir Hooda, president of the BKU in Rohtak, Mr Fateh Singh Fatua, Mr Lakhmi Chand, Mr Jiya Lal and Mr Karan Singh Bhain, he said, adding that they were declared proclaimed offenders following the incident at Kandela village in December.

Jagmohan to review research on Saraswati
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 11
The Union Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister, Mr Jagmohan, will visit Haryana tomorrow to take stock of the research conducted so far to trace the origin and course of the sacred river Saraswati by presiding over a seminar to be organised in Yamunanagar on the theme “Research on River Saraswati and Possibilities” and Haryana’s historical and cultural heritage.

The president of Saraswati Research Organisation, Haryana, Mr Darshan Lal Jain, said today that the source of origin of Saraswati was believed to be in Bilaspur town of Yamunanagar district. The Central as well as state governments were still pursuing further research in this regard and hoped that some fruitful results would be available soon.

A retired Professor of Geology at Jodhpur University, Prof Devender Singh Chauhan, said the basis of research on the Saraswati were the holy scriptures. He said it had been observed that 75 mantras had been written on the Saraswati in Rigveda. It was also mentioned that this river had developed a civilisation and promoted agriculture as well as trade. He said that a research on it had been conducted in western Rajasthan on the basis of these holy scriptures.

The Saraswati Research Organisation of Rajasthan has taken steps in this direction with the help of Special Application Centre, Jodhpur, Regional Remote-Sensing Service Centre and Baba Atomic Research Centre, Jodhpur. The results were eye-opening and following the research, the Rajasthan Government got tubewells dug at the places identified in the holy scriptures.

The water was sweet and the water contained all those elements which were said to have been contained by the water of the Saraswati.

Panchayat orders couple to divorce
Our Correspondent

Fatehabad, June 11
In an incident reminiscent of the medieval era, a mahapanchayat of Beniwal Khap from 52 villages ordered a couple to get divorced within a fortnight as the panchayat considered their marriage “socially bad”. The mahapanchayat would meet again in case the couple failed to comply with its decision.

According to reports, Mr Krishan Kumar Beniwal, a resident of Mochiwala village in this district had married his daughter Suman to Mr Baljor Singh Sheokand of Kakroda village in Jind district on March 24, 2002.

Kakroda is a small village with a population of 1500. About 20 families belonging to the Beniwal gotra also reside in this village. When they came to know of this marriage, they raised an objection on the plea that they could not accept a girl as their daughter-in-law, who was like their daughter, being born in a Beniwal family.

They approached leaders of the Beniwal Khap to intervene in the matter. A meeting of the Khap was held and the couple was asked to get divorced.

But when both sides refused to accept the verdict of the panchayat, a mahapanchayat of the Khap was held yesterday. Senior leaders of the Beniwal Khap, including a former MLA, panches and sarpanches of 52 villages, participated. A zila parishad member, Ms Suman Lata Siwatch, opposed the mahapanchayat move, saying that it was against our culture to break the marriage of a girl forcibly. She walked out of the meeting when she found the other members adamant on their stand.

The mahapanchayat decided in favour of dissolving the marriage and issued a fatwa in this regard.

Three pilgrims feared drowned
Our Correspondent

Kurukshetra, June 11
Three pilgrims, who were travelling on the roof of the Jind-Kurukshetra 4JNK train, are feared to have drowned in the Bhakhra-Narwana branch canal, near Mirzapur village, 5 km from here yesterday while a number of them were injured.

When the train, running from Kaithal to Kurukshetra, was crossing the railway bridge over the canal, the pilgrims travelling on train’s roof perhaps, got entangled in the telephone wires passing near the railway track. Three of the passengers fell into the canal and another three of them near the canal banks.

They were coming to Kurukshetra to have a holy dip in the sacred sarovers here yesterday on the occasion of Somvati Amavasya.

The injured Joginder (25) of Bihar, was immediately rushed to a private nursing home here while another two injured pilgrims, who were identified as Sanju (16) and Neki Ram (16), both residents of Kaithal, were shifted to Kaithal.

Although, the injured pilgrim Joginder told mediapersons that three passengers, who were sitting behind him, might have fell down in the canal, yet, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Dr Narhari Singh Banger told The Tribune that no casuality, other than the three injured persons, had been reported so far.

Talking to newsmen, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Abhilaksh Likhi expressed his grief on the incident and also refuted the number of deaths published in various vernacular newspapers. He said the number of deaths could not be ascertained till any dead body was recovered.

Lifting of ban on Pak planes flayed
Tribune News Service

Ambala, June 11
The president of the Haryana unit of the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front, Dr Viresh Shandilya, today condemned the decision of the Union Government to lift the ban on allowing Pakistani planes to fly over Indian airspace.

Dr Shandilya opined that this was not a wise step, particularly in view of the current security scenario. “We demand that the President must intervene in the matter,” he said.

“We welcome the arrest of a senior Hurriyat conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, under POTA. This is a correct step which will help in curbing anti-national activities,” he said.

Youth missing for 9 years traced
Tribune News Service

Ambala, June 11
A nine-year-old case of a missing youth has been solved by the police in Naraingarh.

The Superintendent of Police, Ambala, Mr Manoj Yadava, said the youth’s father had got registered a case in this regard, and as a result two persons — Gurinder Singh and Preetam Singh — were facing trial.

Mr Yadava said that on February 5, 1993, Prem Singh, a resident of Khurd village, had given a statement at the Shahzadpur Police Chowki that his son Ramesh Kumar (18) had been taken away by a relative Pritam Kumar to make him a truck cleaner. He had also promised that he would be subsequently made a driver and will be given a job.

He also told the police that Pritam Singh had made his son a cleaner in a truck owned by Gurinder Singh of Kasrela village. Subsequently, Prem Singh claimed that he was told that Ramesh had been sent to Assam. He stated that despite repeated efforts, his son could not be traced.

A case was then registered against Pritam Singh and Gurinder Singh.

Mr Yadava said that the police managed to trace Ramesh Kumar. Ramesh has told the police that Gurinder Singh and Pritam Singh were not involved in his disappearance. He said that after an altercation with the truck driver, he was “dumped” in Assam. Thereafter, he continued to be a truck driver and got married.

He said that after these developments, the process to discharge Gurinder Singh and Pritam Singh from the court had begun.

Fruit plants for Eco Club members
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 11
The Haryana Government has decided to give five fruit plants each to 95,000 members of the Eco Clubs constituted in the state. A decision to this effect was taken at the third meeting of the State Steering Committee constituted for the monitoring of the National Green Corps here today. It was held under the chairmanship of the Commissioner and Secretary, Environment, Mr D.S. Dhesi. Mr Dhesi a said token prize would be given to members if all plants survived as an incentive under the greening of Haryana campaign. He said the Forest Department had been asked to train members in five schools in each district in developing nurseries.

The committee decided to establish meterological observatories in the districts of Karnal, Faridabad, Kurukshetra, Sirsa Fatehabad, Gurgaon, Panchkula, Jind, Kaithal Sonepat, Yamunanagar, Panipat, Rewari and Jhajjar for the members of the Eco Clubs.