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Ban on Liquor, meat, lady dance Meerut, February 21 They have banned the serving of non-vegetarian meals and solemnisation of wedding ceremony during night. A joint meeting of all religious leaders has decided to launch a crusade for community reforms. Besides, dance by women on roads during baraat, and taking of Holy Guru Granth Sahib from Gurdwara to banquet halls, have also been forbidden. All these decisions will be enforced from the day of Baisakhi, i.e. April 13, 2004. Liquor and meat will also be banned in the Anand Karaj. Any violation of these rules will be dealt with strictly and punished. After their implementation in Meerut City, the rules will be extended to the entire western UP. Secretary-general of Gurdwara Guru Singh Sabha Jagmit Singh told mediapersons in a press conference that Shri Akal Takhat had issued an order seven years ago, banning weddings during night, serving of non-veg meal in marriage parties, taking away of Holy Guru Granth Sahib from gurdwara for Feras, ceremony of Jaimala and dance in the open on roads by women, but some people had been violating this order. He said that during the meeting, it was decided to eradicate the same evils. A committee was also constituted to monitor the implementation of these rules. He said that a Big Nagar (City) Kirtan would be taken out to make people aware of the Sikh ethos before Baisakhi. Mr Jagmit Singh added that any person violating these rules would be declared anti-path and the matter reported to the Akal Takhat, Amritsar. According to Sardar Jagmit Singh, efforts are also on to bring all
gurdwaras and jathebandies at a single platform, so that Guruparb could be celebrated jointly. A medical college would also be established for Sikh society. Present on the occasion were Tilak Singh, Sardar Jasbir Singh Khalsa and Kuldip Singh Bhatia. |
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Copycats pull the wool over the eyes of invigilators Faridabad, February 21 The exams are due to take off in about a week. The Secretary of the
HSEB, Mr Rakesh Gupta, said here last evening that over 180 cases of UMC had been booked in the middle exams of the Board in the state so far. These include about 62 cases in
Faridabad district alone. As many as 52 cases had been booked by the flying squad headed by him. He said a superintendent and some of the supervisory staff had been relieved for not doing their job well. The Secretary disclosed that as many as 250 persons had been arrested and several FIRs registered against the outsiders, who, he said, had been involved in helping the examinees to cheat or violate the Section 144 imposed within 200 metres radius of the test centres. He said about 10 teachers and clerks of the board had been placed under suspension for alleged irregularities. Claiming that the outside interference in the board exams had been checked effectively, he said as many as 14 FIRs had been booked in the district alone. Meanwhile, it is reported that a group of several persons resorted to stone-throwing on a flying squad in the Hodal subdivision in the district yesterday, as they refused to ‘help’ the examinees. Here, the police arrested at least one person. A total of 27 cases were booked in Palwal and Hathin areas yesterday. According to certain observers, the board may have shown strictness in its overall supervision, but the students still resort to copying. It is learnt that about 11 lakh candidates have been appearing in the ongoing middle exams while the number of examinees in the matric and plus two are likely to be several lakhs.
Newer ways to copy Sonepat: In the ongoing middle class examinations, copycats are one step ahead of anti-copying squads. They have devised a new copying technique by the use of cell phones. It is learnt that invigilators carry cell phones in the examination centre and give the contents of the question paper to the interested parties outside the centre. The invigilator in question is reportedly provided the answers to the multiple-choice questions and the key points of detailed answers. However, the administration seemed to be smug about the measures taken. “It was worst during the last year’s examinations, but we have been able to control it to a great extent and if there is any loophole, that will be plugged,” one flying squad officer of the administration remarked. Meantime, during the last four days of examination, three examination centres have been shifted to other places and more than two dozen cases of UMC have been reported from half a dozen examination centres. The flying squad officer, Mr H C Jain, informed the ‘NCR Tribune’ that every step was being taken to ensure copying-free examinations and all the guidelines and instructions were being enforced strictly. “Even the water-carriers are being thoroughly searched while entering the centres and going out of the centres. The superintendent has also been asked to keep a close watch on the persons on duty in the centres,” he added.
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Naib Court in the dock for illegal appointment New Delhi, February 21 The police said that a case was registered against the court official and his associate after the matter was brought to their notice by the High Court officials following a complaint. The police said that the Ahalmad had appointed Naresh about one year back to assist him in the court and used to give him salary from his own pocket which was contrary to the rules as no unauthorised person can handle sensitive court documents. The police said that Naresh was arrested following investigations and a few court documents recovered from his possession. He was arrested under 170 IPC (Impersonation) and 120-B IPC (Criminal Conspiracy) as he worked as official of the court. The police said that investigations have also revealed that the unauthorised appointment was not in the knowledge of the ACMM who had taken up his post only a few months ago. The Registrar of the Delhi High Court received a tip-off recently that a private man was working in the Patiala House Courts. Officials of the Registrar office along with local police conducted a raid in the ACMM court this morning and arrested Naresh from there. Further investigations were continuing. |
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Intruder beaten to death Noida, February 21 It is reported that the intruding neighbour wanted to molest the women in the house. The incident happened in Neemka village under Javer police station on Thursday. According to police, 40-year-old Sunder Lal, a bachelor, lived in Neemka village. He had been involved in a number of fights with people and sent to jail in several cases as well. He had earned a bad name for teasing girls in the neighbourhood. On Thursday, he had slipped into the house of Om Prakash when the family was asleep. Om Prakash was woken by a noise. He took up a wooden plank and hit the hand of the intruder. Sunder Lal’s revolver slipped out of his hands. Om Prakash then hit him repeatedly with the same wooden plank. Sunder Lal slumped down and breathed his last. Meanwhile, on hearing the commotion, villagers armed with lathis and wooden sticks came to rescue Om Prakash. Soon the police also reached and took away the body. Om Prakash said he had attacked the intruder in self-defence, taking him to be a criminal. The police are investigating. |
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Ecological balance New Delhi, February 21 “The DDA should ensure that the ecological balance of Delhi is maintained,” Mr Advani said while laying the foundation stone for Aravalli Bio-diversity Park at Vasant Kunj here this morning. He complimented the Pro Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University and renowned professor of botany, Mr C R Babu, on his idea of setting up the bio-diversity park in the barren land adjoining Vasant Kunj. Recalling the words of Deen Dayal Upadhay, Mr Advani said, “He always used to stress integral development. This principle should be followed by everyone, including the DDA and the authority should ensure that such parks were constructed so that the ecological balance was maintained.” Spread over 690-acres, the park will help restore regional ecological balance and directly augment Delhi’s life support system. Some of the major attractions of the park will be 30 biotic communities characteristics of the Aravalli ranges, rock garden with indigenous species, cactus house with spectacular display of rare species, nature interpretation centre showcasing the cultural heritage of Aravallis and a safari park. Others present at the function were Delhi’s Lt-Governor Vijai Kapoor, Union Labour Minister Saheb Singh Verma and DDA Vice-Chairman Mudhukar Gupta. |
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Man attacked with knife over land dispute Sonepat, February 21 According to a report, the injured youth was immediately rushed to the community health centre at Kharkhauda town and was stated to be out of danger. The Kharkhauda police have registered the case and further investigations were in progress. However, no arrest has been made in this connection. A dispute over a plot is stated to be the main cause of the assault.
Man cheated A milk vendor, identified as Sriniwas, reportedly duped a
halwai, Mr Ramesh of Ganaur, of Rs 25,500 for arranging a loan of Rs 2 lakh from a bank today. According to a report, the complainant informed the police about the case of cheating and further investigations were in
progress.
Gangman run over A gangman, identified as Nawal Kishore, was run over and killed by the Jan Shatabadi between Harsana Kalan and Rathdhanna Railway stations, about 6 km from here last evening. According to another report, Mr Ram Kumar Singh, a retired official of Satna (Madhya Pradesh), was also run over by a train near Shani Mandir here last evening. The Government Railway Police (GRP) have sent the bodies of both the victims for the postmortem examination.
Three persons injured Three persons including an aged man were injured in an accident on the Sonepat-Gohana road near the police lines here yesterday. According to a report, all the injured persons were rushed to the local civil hospital from where the aged man was shifted to a trauma centre at Delhi for further treatment. The jeep driver was handed over to the police. However, he managed to leave the spot in the jeep. The police have registered the case and launched a hunt to apprehend the jeep driver. The injured persons were identified as Harnand (65), Dinesh (33), and Mahavir (30).
Youth beaten up A youth was beaten up by the residents at Raipur village, about 10 km from here last evening. According to a report, the youth had sodomised a two-year-old boy, identified as Parveen, who was found in an unconscious condition in the village. The youth was later handed over to the police for further action. However, no case has been registered so far in this connection. Further investigations were in progress.
Lecturers confirmed The Haryana Government has confirmed the services of 790 lecturers working in different government colleges in the state. Hitherto, these lecturers had been working on
adhoc basis. |
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Search within We
have a similar situation concerning the poor of the land. The middle class holds the reins of power. The poor do not even get the crumbs from their table. And millions are destined to a life of poverty, disease and sickness because the fruits of progress are not yet available to them after more than five decades. Not even the freedom or opportunity to labour with their hands and live a life of dignity and liberty. The backward classes and the scheduled castes and tribes are given some special privileges, but that has not put them on a platform of equality with the higher castes. Neither are they free of the shackles and the stains of caste which had bound them for ages. They are yet to see the dawn of the “freedom of the mind” to strive towards perfection as Rabindranath Tagore had put it. The freedom of everyone has to be defended: the freedom of the poor to have their legitimate share in the nation’s progress. They need to be free from want and fear. Franklin D Roosevelt, former US President talked of four freedoms: The first is freedom of speech and expression - everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of everyone to worship God in his own way, everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want . . . everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear . . . anywhere in the world. The weaker sections and the minorities have a stake in the freedom of choice. Intolerance takes many forms. When religious groups clash, there is religious intolerance. When a
Harriman boy or girl is killed for falling in love with a member of a higher caste, with the approval of the panchayat it becomes casteist intolerance. Likewise there could be social boycott of a family that decides to do away with a social custom they found too superstitious or illogical. The media has a duty to stand on the side of those few to whom the right of choice is denied. “They are cowards who dare not be/ In the right with two or three,” so runs the lines of an old saying. Dr Ambedkar and Gandhiji had the courage to condemn untouchability. There must be a sizable majority today opposing casteist discriminations. They, however, do not protest. It is this lack of courage to stand up for what is right that is at the root of corruption in society. That is also the reason why muscle power and money power are able to hijack society leaving in the lurch all those who stand for justice and righteousness. That is why crooks and unscrupulous men get elected to represent the people in state legislature and Parliament. The wicked are united while the righteous in our society remain mute spectators to the daily rapacious attack on human rights, justice and equality. It must be admitted that though “we the people of India” have been set free from foreign rule on August 15, 1947 we are yet a people governed by age-old traditions, customs and superstitions and unwilling to change with the times. We are not free to take decisions. We are swayed by our slavish mind. That is why the tag of caste still rules our elections, the tag of religion determines our sense of justice; that is why money power and muscle power determine respectability in society. In a traditional family, is the lady free to choose her life partner? Is she free to reject a proposal that involves demands of a large sum of money for agreeing to marry her? Is she free to marry a man of another caste? Will a widow be able to live a life of dignity in society without being thought of by others as a bad omen? Is an untouchable free to share a meal with you on your dinner table as an equal? “The sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality,” declared Dr Martin Luther King Jr, civil rights leader, speaking at the Lincoln Memorial during his “March on Washington” on August 28, 1963. Today, he would have been happy to take note of those poor blacks who occupy prominent positions in the United States government. The people there can take credit for having followed the affirmation of the Constitution that “all men are created equal”. The Indians, on the other hand, must admit with shame that such equality is still a far cry to the marginalised and the poor in this land. Martin Luther King dreamt of a day when his children would not be judged by the colour of their skin but on the basis of their merit. As for we Indians, we still measure the worth of people by parentage, caste, religion and of course, a new criterion, bank balance! MPK Kutty |
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Three killed in Faridabad Faridabad, February 21 The victim had come to the city looking for a job. In the second incident, a 22-year-old man of Sevli village was killed after his motorcycle was hit by a truck on the National Highway. He succumbed to his injuries in the hospital yesterday. Meanwhile, a woman identified as Savita of Baroli village, who had received serious burn injuries on February 2, succumbed to her injuries in Safdarjang Hospital in Delhi. |
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Inter-state criminal arrested New Delhi, February 21 He went to Germany in 1990 where he became acquainted with Balbir Sing Sandhu and his wife, Mrs Neeru Makheeja. He kept all his earnings with the couple. He returned to India along with the couple in 1993. However, Dilber Singh was shocked when the couple refused to return back his money. Subsequently, the accused killed them to avenge their betrayal. Moreover, he was involved in a number of other cases in Punjab, the police said.
5-kg heroin seized The Narcotics Branch of the Delhi Police arrested two suspects from Samata Sthal and seized five-kg heroin from their possession. They were identified as Kamlesh and Shyam, the police said. |
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