Jalandhar, April 1
Bhagat Singh Bilga, popularly known as “Baba Bilga”, is the last of the surviving Ghadari Babas — a torchbearer of the Ghadar Movement, after Kartar Singh Sarabha and Bhai Mohan Singh Bhakna. The old man of Punjab’s biggest freedom movement would turn 100 tomorrow.

The namesake of Bhagat Singh was born in the same year as the martyr and bears testimony to a century of people’s struggle.

But for the past many years, Bilga feels the freedom fighters were ditched at the time of Independence. “It was merely a compromise between the British government and the leaders, who took the country through a change of power and not freedom struggle,” he says. Though unable to see clearly through his weak eyes, he is still a keen observer of the changes around him. He sees hope in the youth all around him. “The India of our dreams is yet to arrive.”

He says the British and the Indian leaders entered into an understanding in 1947 and the mistake by the freedom fighters was that they stayed out of the corridors of power.

Baba Bilga says that in his horoscope, April 1, 1907, is the date of birth. “But the officially registered birthday is April 2.”

His father passed away when he (Bilga) was one. “My maternal aunt took me to her Ajitwal village in Moga. She, too, soon died of plague. Her husband and my maternal grandmother raised me,” he added.

In search of a job, Baba Bilga said he went to Kolkata and from there he went to Yangoon, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Chile. In Argentina, he met the uncle of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Mr Ajit Singh. It was there that the seeds of fighting for his motherland were sown. He then spent his time mobilising Indians all over the world to be part of the freedom movement.

He became General Secretary of the Ghadar Party in Argentina. He had to go underground when he returned to Punjab. Baba Bilga played an important part in the Ghadar Party’s activities. 

Jalandhar, April 1
The RBI Manager, Money Exchange, Capt Amarjeet Kumar, today said all money changers would have to strictly follow the new rule book from today onwards, as its violation would invite penalty.

The RBI manager said this while talking to The Tribune at a hotel, where he was the chief guest during an awareness seminar organised by the Wall Street Finance Ltd. He said the money changers had been asked to take from all customers a copy of an ID proof that contained their residence proof as well.

He said he had told the money changers not to accept PAN card as proof of identity, as it did not include the address of a person. He said the money changers had been asked to accept ration card and driving licence as ID proofs if they were changing money that was equivalent to an amount ranging from $ 1 to $ 500. For an amount exceeding $ 500, they had been asked to get passport or voter card as the proof, he added.

He said army ID cards or office ID cards would not be acceptable. He said bank passbook was also not valid for the purpose till it was verified that the account was operative and the account holder was not fraudulent or a defaulter. He added that yellow cards and IDs issued by Deputy Commissioner of district would also be acceptable for small amounts of money changed.

The RBI manager added that the money changers had also been debarred from encashing the amount that exceeded $ 1000. “In such a case, the mode of payment will only be in the form of account payee cheques,” he said.

Fixing a limit on money exchange for NRIs per visit as $ 5000, Capt Amarjeet Kumar said this amount could increase only in case the client showed his Customs Declared Form for a higher amount. He said he had told the money changers that in case they came across such a client, the matter must be reported to the company’s money laundering reporting officer. He said there was no limit on the amount of currency changed by an exporter in case he produced export-import code given to him by the Director, General Foreign Trade.

Informing that anyone, including retailers like garment sellers and jewellers, could legally do inward remittance of overseas currency, the RBI manager said such persons could not retain it if it was more than $ 2000 for over seven days.

“They would have to get it converted to Indian rupees within a week from any money changer. Anyone can retain foreign currency less than $ 2000 at any point of time for any period,” he added. 

Money changers did not seem to be enthusiastic about the new guidelines. They claimed that their business interests would be harmed due to so many restrictions imposed on them. One of the persons running an established money exchange company claimed that he had implemented fresh guidelines in his office since the past fortnight and found that the volume of business had suddenly plunged.

The money changers were also upset over the clause related to the limit of money exchanged by NRIs per visit. Over 80 money exchangers, including the Centurion Bank of Punjab, Punjab National Bank, and Punjab and Sind Bank, attended the meeting. 

Jalandhar, April 1
A Plus Two (science stream) student of Doaba Arya Senior Secondary School, Noormahal, has alleged that he could not appear for his practical examination conducted by the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB), as he had received a wrong schedule for the exam.

In his representation sent to the Comptroller of Examination, PSEB, the student, Bhupinder Kumar, who was to clear his compartment in chemistry, has written that he had appeared for the theory paper on March 2 at his centre in Government Senior Secondary School, Noormahal. He claimed that he was told by the centre head that his practical examination in the subject would be held on March 29 in the same school. The student said that when he went to take his practical test, he was surprised to see that there was neither an examiner nor any question paper had been sent by the board officials. He said that he then reported the matter to his school principal, who then apprised the board officials of the situation. Bhupinder said that the principal was told that his practical was scheduled to be held on March 24 at a centre in Nakodar.

Mr Sardari Lal, father of the student, said when the examiner in Nakodar centre was requested to give the student’s the test, he also expressed helplessness, as he said that he had already dispatched the report of practical examination held on March 24.

The Comptroller of Examination, Ms Sukhwinder Kaur Saroa, could not be contacted as her cell phone remained switched off. 

Jalandhar, April 1
A 50-year-old painter was stabbed to death by his cousin with a trident in Bath village in Noormahal near here yesterday night.

The victim, Sohan Lal, alias Rana, from Bath village, was allegedly killed by his cousin, Vijay Kumar, who reportedly used to practice black magic.

The police had arrested Vijay Kumar under Section 302 of the IPC today and the trident, which was used to kill the victim, had also been recovered, SHO, Noormahal, Mr Satinder Chaddha said.

Mr Chaddha claimed that the accused had confessed to having killed Sohan Lal, a father of six children. The victim was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared as brought dead, the SHO added.

According to sources, Vijay Kumar wanted to be considered as a “tantrik” and when he came to the village yesterday night, he started abusing the villagers. When Sohan Lal objected, Vijay Kumar allegedly got enraged and attacked him with a trident.