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June 28, 2003, Chandigarh, India
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Akalis gherao Khadi Board Director, 10 booked Garhi Fazal(Koomkalan), June 27 Mr Mewa Singh Chauhan, a Congress leader and newly appointed Director of the State Khadi Board, was forced to stay in a village gurdwara for several hours after Akali supporters, allegedly armed with sticks, blocked his way and dared him to come out. Some shots were also allegedly fired into air to intimidate him. He was rescued by a team of the Koomkalan police led by a DSP. Earlier, Mr Chauhan had refused to leave the gurdwara with police officials of the Mattewara police post or the Koomkalan police post accusing them of supporting the other party. Interestingly, differences seem to have appeared among Congress leaders over the issue. Mr Chauhan while talking to Ludhiana Tribune alleged that a sitting MLA from Ludhiana and a municipal councillor were working against him. Ten Akalis activists were booked and arrested under Sections 283, 342 and 506 of the IPC and Sections 107 and 151 of the CrPC. They have been identified as Bachan Singh, Gian Singh, Sewa Singh, Karnail Singh, Gyan Singh, Charan Singh, Harcharn Singh, Ram Lal and an unidentified man. Bachan Singh and Gian Singh were the father and brother, respectively, of sitting village sarpanch, Nirmal Singh Bhura. According to Mr Chauhan, Bhura was the main accused in his complaint, but no action has been taken against him. Sources close to Nirmal Singh Bhura, however, said the administration had taken one-sided action in the case. They said they had gone to the gurdwara just to ask Mr Chauhan about the provocative language he was using against Nirmal Singh. They said they never intended to indulge in violence and had not fired any shot as was claimed by Mr Chauhan. According to Mr Chauhan, he had gone to the village to attend a function organised in his honour on his becoming the Director of the Khadi Board. He said he belonged to Boothgarh village in Koomkalan and was being honoured by villagers. He said he had attended functions at Mangli Khas and Mangli Tanda villages before reaching Garhi Fazal village. He said he was attending a function in the village gurdwara when Akali activists started gathering outside. They later hurled abuses at him. He said he stopped Congress supporters from going out and prevented a violent clash. He said he had an inkling of such an event and had informed the police in advance, but nothing was done. On the other hand, Akali party sources said Mr Chauhan was violating the election code of conduct by canvassing for a candidate. They said he was a government official now and could not canvass in elections. They said Mr Chauhan had made false allegations against Nirmal Singh besides making objectionable remarks against his supporters. The district police has provided two gunmen to Mr Chauhan for his security. |
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Poll violence: 11 booked Ludhiana, June 27 In the first case, Boota Singh, Gurdev Singh, Karnail Singh and Kamaljit Singh were booked on the complaint of Raghvir Singh of Janetpura village. In the second case, Nahar Singh, Bachittar Singh, Gurbachan Singh, Karnail Singh, Amar Singh, Amritpal Singh and Jarnail Singh were booked on the complaint of Mr Kulwinder Singh. |
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Candidates
fume over reallotted symbols Pakhowal (Ludhiana), June 27 Talking to The Tribune here today the candidates alleged that at the time of the filing of the nominations on June 21 they were allotted symbols and when they went to see the list at the block development officer’s office yesterday they were shocked to see that their election symbols had got changed. ‘‘This is ridiculous. We had been campaigning with these symbols for the past many days and now suddenly we have come to know that we were campaigning for someone else,” said the husband of a candidate for the post of a panch. ‘‘At villages election depends only on symbols as most of the voters are illiterate. Now with only two days left for the elections it has become very difficult for us to tell the voters that our symbols have been changed.’’ rued another candidate. In one such case Ms Surinder Kaur of Pakhowal had filed her Workers of the candidate spoke to the staff of the BDO office who asked them to do whatever they wanted to do. While none of the candidates was willing to come on record for obvious reasons, a candidate told TNS on the condition of anonymity that they were requested by the staff of the BDO office to bear with them as even they did not know what had happened with the symbols’ list. Another candidate said one member of the staff was even willing to pay them for the reprinting of the posters, but asked him not to complain against them. Similar problems were faced by candidates at Dango village. Mr Gurmeet Singh, SDM, Raikot, however, denied any such problem in the block. He said the candidates were levelling allegations against the staff. He alleged that it was a conspiracy by the candidates. Talking to the TNS on his mobile phone, the SDM said he had also received such reports and was sitting at the BDO office to take stock of the situation. He added that they had decided about the symbols on June 21 itself and a list in this regard was pasted outside the office the same day. He further said the list pasted at the office was not changed as copies of the information were sent to the DC, ADC and printing press for printing the ballot papers. |
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Candidates
go all out to woo voters Ludhiana, June 27 The offers in this category cover payment of pending power bills, installation of hand pumps, construction of cattle troughs, getting leaking roofs repaired and having houses repainted. The villagers, especially Dalit voters, are lapping up such offers for they think that this is the time to realise promises since no candidate would want to alienate them lest they change camps later on. To garner the votes of employed voters, the candidates are calling on the employers and asking them to use their influence on the former. Influential candidates do not hesitate even to send their supporters to the villages of the relatives of their voters. This is proving to be a major nuisance for many people who do not want to force their relatives to vote for a particular candidate. Nevertheless, narcotics and alcohol seem to be most effective means of mobilising voters. Supporters of various candidates, speaking on condition of anonymity, told TNS that the abuse of poppy husk had
Citing the difference between them in terms of influence and economics, a supporter pointed out that one addict on an average would not cost more than Rs 200-300 for the candidate with the added benefit of bagging the votes of his family as compared to an alcoholic. The rationale being that alcoholics are a constant source of nuisance during the campaigning and they tend to demand alcohol at odd times, insisting on premium brands and non-vegetarian fare with the drinks as well as meals. On the other hand, the youngsters shun both alcohol and poppy husk but ask for opium, which is a costly proposition. But the candidates cannot afford to alienate this section since they are responsible for ensuring a show of strength. Many of them are first timers who are taking opium under peer pressure by touting that it will help them cope with the rigours of the round-the-clock campaigning, a supporter said. Supporters and canvassers from the fairer sex, who are vigorously campaigning for their candidates, also accept hospitality with a smile. Baljit Kaur, one of the supporters of a candidate at Hargobindpur village, says: “If they can spend thousands on entertaining the menfolk, why can’t they do so for us. Moreover, our votes are also crucial.” The women were more enthusiastic in those villages where the post of sarpanch was reserved for them. Mr Dharam Pal Sharma, who is monitoring the election campaign of a female candidate, said aspirants had started preparing the lists of relatives of large families in their village. He said: “The relatives having links with influential people have already brought them to the villages to impress upon the voters to vote in their favour. The sons-in-law of such families have proven to be the most potent ploy for securing the votes in the village.” Where there was neck and neck contest, these relatives would be brought the night preceding the poll, he added.
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Complex
pulled down, restaurants sealed
Ludhiana, June 27 A team of MC officials along with other members of the staff and machines descended at six places in the city late last evening. After pulling down a commercial complex on the main road in Urban Estate, Dugri, the MC team moved to the posh shopping area of the Mall where two basements and Saubhagya Restaurant were sealed. Another restaurant near the Clock Tower Gyan’s Vegetarian, running from a basement, was sealed due to lack of fire-safety norms. The MC demolition team also brought down a part of the two supporting pillars of a commercial building under construction on the G.T. Road near the Clock Tower chowk. The officials said the land on which the pillars were erected was part of the public road. Hailing the anti-encroachment campaign, functionaries of the Shakti Cooperative House Building Society have expressed gratitude to the civic administration. Members of the society alleged that on the issue of the construction of an illegal building the owner of the commercial complex along with men had beaten up some persons and were threatening others with dire consequences. Meanwhile, the Shopkeepers Association of Baghwali Gali have expressed concern over the delay on the part of the civic body to demolish the extended portion of shops at the Talab Bazar Market, which is built on a covered nullah, despite court orders in this regard. In a memorandum submitted to the Deputy Commissioner, the functionaries of the association pointed out that due to this the cleaning of the drain had not been carried out for many years. As a result the flow of water had been obstructed, leading to accumulation of rainwater in surrounding markets like Baghwali Gali, Maleri Street, Thakurdwara Road and Talab Bazar.
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Where dogs welcome patients Ludhiana, June 27 Ms Padmawati, who accompanied her old father at the hospital to get him examined, said while waiting for their turn in the OPD area they saw more than four dogs roaming. “Both patients and attendants had a harried time since these ferocious animals continuously barked at people. But nobody bothered and the para-medical staff asked us not to be panicky as the dogs meant no harm,” said Padmawati. One of the members of the nursing staff said two dogs attacked a person near canteen a few days back. “He was so old that he could not run. Some passersby came to his rescue and saved him from the dogs. We have been complaining regularly to the officials here but they show their inability to tackle the problem. These stray dogs create a lot of nuisance for the patients,” said the nurse. Dr Manjit Kaur, Senior Medical Officer, Civil Hospital, when contacted said, “They were helpless to tackle the problem. The department has written to the authorities concerned about the dog menace but they say they have no infrastructure to tackle the problem. They cannot kill the dogs because the People for Animals voice against their killing.”
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‘Congress government
targeting Badal’ Amloh, June 27 He also addressed an election meeting in support of Ms Gurmeet Kaur, a candidate for the post of village sarpanch. He said SAD would launch a stir against the government in case the Vigilance Bureau arrested the members of Mr Badal’ family under the garb of its anti-corruption drive. He said no action had been initiated against Congress ministers who had been indicted in corruption cases by the Punjab Lok Pal. People were annoyed with the policies of the Congress government and would vote for Akali candidates. SAD would get majority in the panchayat polls, he said. Among others, Ms Paramjit Kaur Bhagrana, former chairperson of the Market Committee, Amloh, Mr Tejinder Singh Sarpana, former President of the Bar Association, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Mr Mohinder Singh also spoke on the occasion. Earlier, Capt Kanwaljit Singh addressed an election meeting at Bhambri village, 4 km from here. Later, an election meeting was organised by activists of SAD at Anian village, 2 km from here, in support of Ms Mandeep Kaur for the post of sarpanch. Mahant Harvinder Singh Khanora, former Chairman of the Block Samiti, Nabha, was weighed against sweets which were later distributed among the people. Mr Gurdev Singh Sidhu, former Akali MLA, said they believed in democratic set-up and any activity of suppression would not be tolerated. He was critical of the police for harassing Mr Karamjit Singh Bhagrana, senior vice-president of the Punjab State Karamchari Dal. It is interesting to note that the rival candidates from Sounti and Anian village are the wives of Mr Nirbhai Singh and Pargat Singh, real brothers and sarpanches of the villages in the outgoing term. They are supported by Mr Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, MLA, Amloh. The police has launched patrolling in villages of Salana, Sounti, Bhadal Thuha, Kanjari, Bharpoor Garh, Jhambala, Naraingarh, Machhrai Khurd, Machhrai Kalan and Bhadal Thuha that have been declared sensitive areas. In the panchayat elections of Badinpur village under the Mandi Gobindgarh police station, Mr Satnam Singh Satta, former state general secretary of the Youth Congress and president of the Cooperative Agricultural Development society, Badinpur, has extended support to Mr Jagjit Singh Jagga for the post of sarpanch.
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Corncob
vendors back in business Ludhiana, June 27 The smell of roasted corn tempts passers-by and they stop by to have one. Since the corns have just made appearance in the market, they appeal more to the people. The sellers choose a shady place and set up their temporary business. Raju, one such vendor who sits near the bridge that joins Sarabha Nagar with BRS Nagar, says, “I am a daily wager. I work at construction sights. The work of carrying sand and bricks in the hot summer months is backbreaking. So when corncobs make their appearance, I quit my job as labourer and buy 6 to 7 kg of ‘bhuttas’, a small sack of coal, two hand fans, some lemons, a knife and start my business. I have chosen this point as my shanty is only 1 km away from here. My wife also joins me and we take turns in fanning the fire. We sometimes do not make as much money, but the work is less tiring and it is more fun interacting with different types of people.” Many vendors can be seen selling corncobs on movable carts. They carry ‘bhuttas’ that had been cooked by putting in hot sand. Whenever demanded, they peel off the outer leafy layers, apply salt and lemon and serve the customer. Monu and her sister, Sonu, say, “We spend around Rs 10 on buying roasted corncobs daily. We get a scolding from our mother as she says that we can eat more than a kilo of corncobs at home for Rs 10, but we like it only when it is roasted on charcoal and not on the gas stove. All the charm of eating goes when we roast it on a gas stove. We love eating ‘bhuttas’ while riding our Kinetic.” |
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Withering human dignity It is customary to term the days past as “the good old days”. The old days seem good to the people who have gone beyond the prime of their lives. They relish the sweet memories of the pleasant days and ignore the bitterness of the unpleasant ones. The reality, of course, is that the time is always good in the days of one’s youth. So the younger generation will term, in the days to come, the present time as the good old one. The process goes on in this cyclic order. Still there are values of life that are eternal in their appeal to the human psyche. On these is based the abiding charm of the existence of man on the earth. In the world of today, the strains and stresses of life have impaired the faculty of thinking. Consequently, it has become difficult to differentiate between right and wrong, truth and falsehood, beauty and ugliness. The Greek ideal — “the beautiful, the good and the true” — has been forgotten entirely as it is not possible for the man of today to conceive of the separate identity of goodness in human life. There is still time to ponder over and resolve certain problems but the basic issues facing the modern man cannot be side-tracked. To my mind the foremost of these is the restoration of human dignity. Class-arrogance has played havoc with the self-respect of the underprivileged. To despise a person on the ground of class or caste is inhuman. Likewise, the contemptuousness of the educated toward the uneducated is also intolerable. In life I have experienced a big hiatus between reality and appearance. Things are not what they seem. It has become difficult to understand the insincere motives of an avowedly sincere person. At times, there is not much distinction between a friend and a foe. They can change places at a convenient time. Perhaps it is due to the commercialisation of human relations. It is now useless to appeal to “goodness of heart” as no such thing apparently exists today. It is considered nothing more than the weakness of the mind to be considerate to others. Lust for power dominates all walks of life and too much stress on sex and violence is its natural corollary. Things are indeed falling apart as the centre of their existence cannot hold them together. Not being good, the heart can never be sound and without a sound heart, the structure of one’s life can never be sturdy. But the things can, at the crucial time, take a turn for the better. Man is susceptible not only to the immediate influences but also to the influences of history and tradition. A wave of collective consciousness may surge up and intermingle with the ebb and flow of inner consciousness, resulting in a person’s metamorphosis. In view of this, man’s salvation is possible only when society as a whole wills it. Society will remain helpless so long as the individual is not given back his humanity, his dignity and his proper pride. At present, joy is missing in the affairs of men and in its place despair rules. But this may ultimately prove to be a passing phase. The miracle can happen if the callous method and mechanical process of our dealings with our fellow men are discarded. N.S. Tasneem
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J&K Govt flayed
on ‘langar’ issue Ludhiana, June 27 A meeting of the trust was held here yesterday under the presidentship of Mr Rajan Gupta. Members of trust flayed the decision of the Jammu and Kashmir Government to issue langar permission through the Deputy Commissioners, Srinagar and Anantnag. Earlier, the Director, Tourism, was giving permission. They also criticised the decision of the government to fix the maximum number of ‘sevadars’ at 25 in connection with the langar. They demanded that old practice should be continued which allowed at least 100 ‘sevadars’ and their identity cards should be issued by Jammu and Kashmir Bank. The trust urged the government to withdraw the decision of giving the permission on personal appearance. They said it was not feasible for the organisers to receive permission personally from Anantnag and Srinagar. |
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Migrants
semi-conscious Ludhiana, June 27 They were probably given drug-laced tea by a gang of thugs soon after the train left Amritsar and deprived of the cash they were carrying. |
Rice
millers keen on investing in state Ludhiana, June 27 The Ludhiana District Food and Supply Controller (DFSC), Ms Simarjot Kaur, confirmed that many companies had already established rice shelling units in the city’s neighbourhood, while several more were showing keen interest in establishing base around the city, which was one of the largest rice producing district in the state. “Rice-shellers are getting good business for the past two years and not much risk is involved as they only do the job work,” said Ms Simarjot. Rice production in the state has almost stabilised after it produced 70.04 lakh tonnes of rice during 1997-98, which was a national record. It amounts to about 50 per cent of the Punjab’s contribution to the national pool. Ludhiana district produces around 4,000 kg rice per hectare that puts the district among the top rice producing districts of the state. Ludhiana has become a favourite destination for the rice shelling industry due to its central location in the state and good rail and road communication system. Mr Tarsem Chand Saini, president of the Rice Millers Association, Punjab, said during the past three years, rice-millers had earned good returns. This was making other sheller owners to shift base to Punjab. He said another factor that had given a boost to this industry in the state was the announcement of a 25 per cent subsidy for rice millers by the Ministry of Food Processing. The Khadi Board had also announced a subsidy of Rs 4 lakh for small units being put up in the state. He said in Ludhiana district, the concentration of rice shellers was around Payal, Kohara, Doraha, Sahnewal, Malout, Raikot and Jagraon. “More than 450 new rice shellers are coming up in the state of Punjab this year,” Mr Saini said. Mr Sanjay Ghai, a rice miller at Khanna, said during the past few years the industry had been passing through a crucial phase as the it was not attracting good returns. “But for the past two years the government has been purchasing paddy and giving it to rice millers for job work. This has led to a satisfactory returns without much risk of heavy investment,” he said. |
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Govt move on industrial plots draws flak Ludhiana, June 27 Mr Joginder Kumar, president of the association, said several acres on the Chandigarh road in the city were sold to a few industrial houses in 1983 by an allotment committee, headed by the then Chief Secretary, Mr A.S. Chatha. Later, 500 acres were reserved for a bicycle complex as per the decision taken in December, 1992. “Another 872 acres were acquired in 1992-93 by the Industries Department, Punjab, after a meeting with the electroplating and dyeing industries in July, 1990 for the relocation of polluting units from residential areas,” he said, and added that of the 872 acres 349 acres were handed over to the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation
(PSIEC) for the development of industrial plots. However, the PSIEC, Mr Joginder Kumar added, had deliberately earmarked a pocket of land, measuring 110 acres for the polluting industry which was either under encroachment or was under litigation. As the process of inviting applications was in progress between 1993 and 1995 for the 349 acres, the land reserved for polluting units was further slashed to 100 acres. The PSIEC management had deliberately concealed the factual position of the land available for the polluting units which was evident from the fact that of the 250 electroplating units who were keen to purchase plots and shift their units to the industrial belt only 60 applications were shown to have been received, he added. The association has called upon the Punjab Chief Minister not to allow big industrial houses to sell part of their unutilised land on the open market. “Rather the government should ask these industrial houses to surrender it so that it can be used for relocation of electroplating and dyeing units,” it added. Mr Joginder Kumar further asked the Chief Minister, to order an enquiry by the Vigilance Bureau into this. |
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IndusInd-CRISIL ink pact Ludhiana, June 27 The note said Mr C.V. Bijlani, Senior Vice-President, IndusInd Bank, and Mr D. Ravishankar, Director, CRISIL Investment and Risk Management Services, a division of the CRISIL, had signed the agreement. Quoting Mr Bhaskar Ghose, Managing Director of the bank, the note said: “Since the activity of lending is one of the major thrust areas of the bank, selecting an appropriate credit risk assessment tool is a major decision for the bank. By implementing the model, we hope to benefit from its large experience in credit rating.” |
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