Rohtak, September 28
The Shaheed Yadgar Samiti, in association with several Leftist organisations, including the Students Federation of India (SFI), the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the Janvadi Mahila Samiti and the All-India Kisan Sabha, organised a state-level convention here today to mark the birth centenary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and the 150th anniversary of the 1857 uprising.

Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami, CPM MLA from Jammu and Kashmir and member of the party’s central committee, was the main speaker on the occasion. In his address, he described Bhagat Singh as a living legend continuing to guide society, especially the youth, with his everlasting philosophy. He lauded the contribution of the Haryanvi people in the 1857’s struggle for independence.

Tarigami lamented that the leaders of today were indulging in “open loot” instead of realising the dreams of our freedom fighters. He also lambasted the UPA government over the nuclear deal with the USA, stating that it was a threat to the country’s sovereignty.

Noted social scientist and author of a book on Bhagat Singh, S.Irfan Habib from NISTADS, New Delhi, threw light on the principles of the Naujawan Sabha constituted by Bhagat Singh and his companions.

In his presidential address, eminent writer-thinker D.R.Chaudhry observed that though the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters had attained independence for the country, but much more efforts were needed to build an India of their dreams.

Historian-archaeologist Suraj Bhan, veteran Communist leader Prithvi Singh Gorakhpuria and CPM state secretary Inderjit also addressed the gathering. A soulful presentation of patriotic songs and a play based on the theme of the 1857 mutiny were also staged on the occasion.

KURUKSHETRA: Paying homage to Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh on his birth centenary on the premises of Panchayat Bhavan here on Friday, deputy commissioner Pankaj Aggarwal called upon people, particularly the youth, to be ready to sacrifice themselves for the unity and integrity of the nation by following the path shown by Bhagat Singh.

Aggarwal said Bhagat Singh was a good writer and wrote a book “Main Naastik Kyon Hoon”.

Freedom fighters and their kin were honoured by the district administration on the occasion.

Schoolchildren presented a cultural programme and participated in a declamation contest on Shaheed Bhagat Singh.

Over 50 persons donated blood at a camp organised at the occasion.

FATEHABAD: Several competitions were organised here for schoolchildren to commemorate the birth centenary of Bhagat Singh on Friday.

A function was also organised on the occasion where deputy commissioner O.P. Sheoran led a galaxy of prominent persons of the district in paying tributes to the martyr.

Addressing a gathering, Sheoran exhorted the youth to follow the path shown by Bhagat Singh.

Sushil, Monica and Swati won the first three prizes, respectively, in the painting competition for children.

Poonam, Alisha and Suman were adjudged first, second and third, respectively, in the easy writing competition.

In poetic recitation, Monica, Priya and Malika bagged the first three positions, respectively.

Bhoop Singh, Priya and Mamta bagged the first three positions, respectively, in singing while the groups of Harpreet, Disha and Geetu got the first three positions, respectively, in the group song competition.

REWARI: A district-level function to celebrate the birth centenary of Bhagat Singh was held at Government Senior Secondary School, Budhpur, 5 km from here, on Friday.

While SDM G.L. Yadav was the chief guest, block education officer Sangeeta Yadav presided over the function.

Paying tributes to Bhagat Singh and others, Yadav highlighted the supreme sacrifices made by them for the honour and freedom of the country.

Schoolchildren presented a cultural programme replete with patriotic songs and other items.

YAMUNANAGAR: Fifty-one units of blood were collected at a blood donation camp held during a function to celebrate the birth centenary of Bhagat Singh at Saraswati Secondary School, Bilaspur, here on Friday.

Speaking on the occasion, deputy commissioner Nitin Kumar Yadav said the need of the hour was to follow the path shown by Bhagat Singh.

KAITHAL: As many as 246 meritorious students from 37 schools were awarded scholarships at a function organised by the Om Prakash Gramin Jan Kalyan Sansthan at Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Jakholi Adda, here on Friday. Tributes were also paid to Bhagat Singh at this function.

Kavi Raj Sharma, DCC president, lighted the lamp and garlanded the portrait of Bhagat Singh and the late Om Prakash Jindal.

At another function held at RKSD College here, tributes were paid to Bhagat Singh. Anil Kumar, SSP, was the chief guest at this function.

Hisar, September 28
Congress MP Naveen Jindal today finally chose to break his long silence over the controversy about the purchase of government land for setting up a school in the Mill Gate area here and the subsequent cancellation of the deal by the government saying people would teach a lesson to the Indian National Lok Dal which had opposed the deal.

Showing a bird’s eye view plan of the aborted school project, Jindal said he had planned to spend Rs 25 crore on the school to serve the poor people of the Mill Gate area. It was planned to admit 5,000 children to the school from the locality, he said.

However, INLD leaders could not digest the idea and levelled allegations of land grabbing against his family without any basis.

He hastened to add that despite this he had nothing against the INLD, but the people would surely give a proper reply to the INLD at the proper time. He said he also had no grudge against the young IAS officer who had raised objections to the deal. He added that she too would at some stage realise her mistake because of which thousands of children were deprived of an opportunity to get good education.

The Lok Sabha MP said he would do his best to build a school in the area.

The Jindals had bought the 20 acre plot in open auction for Rs 4.05 crore in May last. Originally, 47 acres was given by the government at the reserve price to the Haryana state agricultural marketing board for building fodder, fish and vegetable markets during the Chautala regime. The board earlier this year declared 27 acres surplus and proposed that 20 acres be auctioned for setting up a school.

The deal was “exposed” by senior INLD leader Sampat Singh a day after the auction. He had termed the deal as the “mother of all land scams” and alleged that the government stood to lose around Rs 500 crore from this deal.

Originally, seven bidders had staked their claim to participate in the auction. The claim of one was rejected as the society did not fulfil the conditions. Two others withdrew at the last moment, leaving only four societies run by the Jindals in the field.

The deal was finally rejected by the HSAMB in July.

Karnal, September 28
Cricket aficionados, cheer up! If you have missed the chance to meet the real Dhoni after India’s stupendous win the final of the Twenty20 World Cup, you can do the second best thing; meet his double right here in Karnal.

While Mahendra Singh Dhoni is gearing up to face the mighty Aussies in the seven-match one-day series, Anil Rewri, who has an uncanny resemblance to Dhoni, is basking in the limelight of India’s recent triumph.

A resident of Kalander Chowk, Panipat, Anil is a big fan of Dhoni. “Wherever I go, a small crowd gathers in no time, thinking I am the real thing,” laughs Anil, who was here to visit a friend.

“I was fascinated by Dhoni ever since he made his debut and this was not because I resemble him but because of his attitude and explosive batting,” says Anil.

“Initially my parents discouraged me when I started dressing up like Dhoni and donning his hair style. But later, when my popularity grew, they encouraged me,” he says.

Anil resembles Dhoni to a T. The only difference is the height. Anil is 5’8”, while Dhoni is 6’00”. Anil even has the famous ‘Dhoni mane’.

Anil works in Reliance Communications as an IT executive and has represented Reliance XI. He says, “I was also a wicket-keeper batsman like my idol but have stopped playing cricket lately. I am now concentrating more on landing a few modelling assignments.”

“Before the start of the Twenty20 World Cup and the Indo-Pak final, Reliance used me in a local promotional scheme,” he says.

“Whenever India wins or Dhoni comes good with the bat, I get inundated with congratulatory phone calls and SMSes,” says Anil.

“People have stopped calling me by my name, instead they call me Dhoni, even in office,” he says.

Just like Dhoni he is passionate about motorbikes. “Recently I purchased a Hero Honda CBZ-Xtreme motorcycle,” says Anil.

On his plans to meet Dhoni, Anil says, “Unfortunately I have not met him even once, but I am going to Chandigarh to watch the one-dayer between India and Australia on October 8 and will definitely meet my hero there,” says a determined Anil and adds, “I hope that I will get the publicity I need to make a mark nationally just like Sachin Tendulkar’s double did a few years back.” 

Chandigarh, September 28
The Haryana Governor has decided not to attend the closing ceremony of state-level games being organised by the Haryana Olympics Association (HOA) at Sirsa in the beginning of next month. The games are scheduled to start on October 2 and the closing ceremony is on October 4.

Governor A.R. Kidwai was to take part in the ceremony on October 4. However, recently the Governor got a letter from the state government in the form of a clarification. The state government apparently urged the Governor to refrain from attending the games. Kidwai decided to oblige the state government. His decision was conveyed to the government today.

The HOA, headed by Abhey Chautala, former INLD legislator and younger son of former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, had reportedly invited Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, too, for inaugurating the event. Hooda excused himself citing his pressing schedule for the Gandhi birth anniversary functions.

In the absence of Hooda, the HOA has decided to invite Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for the inauguration ceremony on October 2. Badal, an old friend of the Chautalas, has confirmed his participation in the function.

While Abhey Chautala is the president of the association engaged in organising the games at Sirsa, M.S. Malik, who was the DGP in the Chautala regime and subsequently put under suspension by the Hooda-led government, is the association’s general secretary.

The Hooda government did try to dislodge the HOA office-bearers, including Abhey Chautala and Malik. However, the attempt only resulted in the floating of a parallel HOA, which failed to get the all-important recognition from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). The body, headed by Chautala and Malik, continues to enjoy the recognition of the IOA.

Rampur Bihta (Yamunanagar), September 28
District officials had to call for extra resources when the turnout at the khula manch organised by the district public relations department in Rampur Bihta village of Bilaspur development block here exceeded expectations today.

Officials said they had not expected more than 1,000 persons. However, more than 4,000 villagers reached the manch venue with their problems and complaints, for a health check-up and to receive on-the-spot learner’s driving licences.

Earlier, people of the area had begun a movement demanding the starting of development works or else the transfer of their villages to the adjoining Himachal Pradesh.

Sources said more doctors were summoned when officials could not handle the rush at the health camp. More than 400 villagers were examined at the camp and given ayurvedic and allopathic medicines free of cost.

Officials of the licensing department faced a host of problems. The department had announced that learner’s driving licences would be made and issued on the spot.

An official admitted that they had planned to issue 300-400 licences, but by the end of the manch, they ended up issuing 1,170 learner’s licences. “We ran out of application forms; so we sent someone to the department’s office to fetch more forms,” said SDM (Jagadhri)-cum-district transport officer Narinder Singh, who appeared elated at the success of the learner’s licence camp.

On an experimental basis, all departments of the administration had set up their stalls so that villagers could straightaway approach the officials concerned. In case the villagers were not satisfied with the action taken by department officials, they had the option to approach deputy commissioner Nitin Kumar Yadav.

The officials using a public address system also explained various welfare schemes of their respective departments.

As many as 1,000 complaints, including those relating to drinking water supply and encroachments, were received at the manch and 465 were disposed of on the spot. The deputy commissioner assured the villagers that the pending complaints would be dealt with in less than 15 days.

Yadav also instructed the officials of the water supply and sanitation department to sink a tubewell in the government school of the village for the students.

DPRO Kuldeep Saini said computerised copies of the intkal and jamabandi were also issued to the villagers.

“The response to the manch was more than expected,”said Saini.

The next manch will be held in the first week of October in Radaur development block.

Chandigarh, September 28
With the strict implementation of Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act in Haryana, registration licence of 165 ultra-sound centres has either been suspended or cancelled.

Cases have been filed against 34 violators of the PNDT Act. While disclosing this, Haryana health minister, Kartar Devi said 98 ultrasound machines had been seized and sealed by the district appropriate authorities for being unregistered, unserviceable or for violations of provisions of the PNDT Act.

The minister said as a result of effective steps taken to check the declining sex ratio, which included implementation of various schemes, the child sex ratio (between 0-6 years of age) had increased from 819 females as per census 2001 to 857 in December 2006. According to civil registration system, it further increased to 862 in July 2007, she added. She said 950 ultrasound clinics or genetic clinics and 66 genetic counseling centres have so far been registered under the PNDT Act. Also, 47 ultrasound machines have been registered in the government sector. She said awareness was being spread about the provisions of the PNDT Act by organising meetings, seminars, workshops, debates, rallies and also through media so as to check pre natal sex determination and female foeticide.

She said with a view to implement the PNDT Act and check pre-natal sex determination, which was lead to female foeticide, a number of steps had been taken. These included formation of a multi-member state appropriate authority under the chairpersonship of director-general, health services, Haryana, appointment of civil surgeons of all districts as district appropriate authorities, state advisory board under the chairpersonship of health minister has also been constituted to monitor the implementation of this Act.

Kartar Devi said a state task force headed by state appropriate authority had also been constituted. Apart from conducting raids or inspections of ultrasound centres to curb the illegal activities, this task force was also doing intelligence work to be followed by the raids. The task force had been working with the help of local health officials, NGOs, the police and media persons, she added. 

Karnal, September 28
Geetanjali Sharma, a newlywed, died under mysterious circumstances at her in-laws’ house in the Jundla Gate locality here today.

Geetanjali, who was a resident of Prem Nagar, had married Sandeep on Thursday last. When The Tribune team visited the victim’s in-laws house, Geetanjali’s body was lying on the floor and there were some marks on her throat.

A police team was also present there. Geetanjali’s husband, in-laws and other relatives were not willing to come on record and refused to say anything.

The relatives of the victim, who had gathered there, said since morning they had been calling to talk to Geetanjali but her in-laws gave them vague answers.

When they sensed that something was amiss, they came to the house and found Geetanjali was no more.

The body was taken to the Civil Hospital for postmortem examination and no arrests had been made till the filing of this report. — TNS

Bhiwani, September 28
A drunk police constable was beaten up by the residents when he reportedly entered a house located at local Hanuman Dhani last night and attempted to outrage the modesty of the landlady.

The report said the people gathered when the victim raised the alarm and beat up the constable.

Later, the constable went to the police station and narrated the incident. Soon after that the police picked up all those who were involved in the incident.

The injured constable was admitted to the Civil Hospital for treatment but when the doctor went to the ward, the constable was found missing.

The police has denied any such incident where as people of the area expressed anger on the attitude of the police.

Jind, September 28
The service revolver of the official gunman of the suspended Congress MP from Bhiwani Kuldeep Bishnoi was lost during the workers’ meeting of the unnamed party here today.

In another incident, some armed youths in a car opened fire at three motorcycle-borne youths after a group clash between them and the three youths.

According to the complaint, the car occupants not only opened fire but also snatched the motorcycle on gunpoint when they intercepted again in Urban Estate here.

Sources said one person received minor injuries but the police claimed that no one was injured in the incident and the fire was opened in self-defence.

The victims, who lodged a complaint with the police last night, said they noticed the same car parked at the Bishnoi’s workers’ meeting venue.

The police then rounded up the two persons. One of the two is stated to be a resident of Gurgaon.

The police, who has booked a case regarding these incidents, has, however, ruled out direct connection between the two incidents.

At least one person has reportedly been arrested in this connection. The police has impounded the car bearing registration number HR-26 AK- 1756.

Interestingly, the head constable of the Delhi police and gunman of Bishnoi, Krishan Kumar, found his missing service revolver soon after the meeting.

It is claimed that the revolver was stolen during the meeting.

SP J.S. Lamba said there was no connection between the firing incident and the impounding of the car of the suspected persons from the workers’ meeting this morning.

He said both the accused hailed from the city only.

Chandigarh, September 28
Standing in one corner of Bal Bhavan auditorium in Sector 23, Payal makes a pretty picture of grace. As her friends go up on stage for the last round of performances in the north zone finals of National Balshree awards, she gestures in frenzy, making her presence felt. That’s the only way she knows of getting noticed - when she can’t hear and talk. But her spirit can, and that’s what brings her here.

The only special child in a group of 71, contesting for the finals of Balshree, Payal brings something “special as herself” to the competition. She is neck-to-neck with 23 others, aged 9 to 14, competing in the creative performance category. “A gifted dancer and actor, Payal”, says her teacher Monica, “has one lofty dream. She wants to sing and she believes she will despite the fact that she is disabled by birth.”

Soon as her teacher signals, Payal demonstrates her will by uttering her school logo: “Hum Honge Kaamyaab”. She does it with passion; her entire energy going into the effort.

“Payal learnt to mumble the logo two years ago. In fact, she started learning dance when she saw a group of normal girls presenting an item in their school. That day and this, Payal has been religiously rehearsing dance,” said Monica.

Back home in Kurukshetra, Payal is a student at Sarthak Mook Badher School, a school for the hearing impaired, where she is among the toppers. But that alone does not satisfy the spirited 10-year-old, who wants to sing and dance and attend a normal school like her younger brother. As we communicate with Payal through Panjak, a sing language expert from Vatika School for Deaf and Dumb, Chandigarh, we learn what bothers her the most.

“I don’t like it at school. I have fewer holidays and longer study hours than my brother. I don’t like my school dress,” Payal gestures.

Not that Payal hasn’t had her moments in the sun - she has won many awards for excellence in dancing and acting. Even today, she surprised the judges with her effortless enactments. She was given two tasks for acting out on stage — “if you were a monkey” and “beggar girl”. She lived both her parts to perfection. The only hitch was — she was unable to understand the advanced sign language the judges were using to communicate with her.

Her small school at Kurukshetra does not have enough experts to teach sign language of that level. Small wonder then that Payal’s parting gesture was: “I wish I knew. I only know what I was taught.”

Karnal, September 28
With the starting of government auction in the grain markets, the exploitation of the farmers has started, alleged Sewa Singh Arya, general secretary, Haryana unit of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU).

“Because of the government’s policies the procurement rate of paddy which was Rs 800-900 (paid by private buyers) per quintal dropped to Rs 675 after the auction. This resulted in the private buyers also bringing down the rate to be at par with what the government was offering,” Singh said.

He also said the government agents were following a selective policy when lifting farmers’ produce from the mandis.

“There is a nexus between the government and private traders. Even the weighing procedure is suspect,” he alleged.

Ambala, September 28
Mystery shrouds the illness of two brothers and the subsequent death of one of them after eating a hotdog in Mahesh Nagar area here.

The boys, Arun (11) and Varun (10), are sons of Sher Singh who works as a peon in a school in Shyam Nagar. The children's mother Pravin said Arun and Varun had bought a hotdog from the market and they ate it at home last night.

In the morning the boys woke up and had tea and then went to sleep again.

Then both of them fell sick. Arun died on the way to the hospital. Varun was taken to Civil Hospital, Ambala Cantt, from where he was rushed to PGI, Chandigarh.

A police official said the police are looking into the matter. He said that at this stage it is not clear as to how the hotdog, which was eaten last night, suddenly led to the boys falling sick in the morning. “They had also taken tea but the tea was also consumed by the mother and she is fine. We are trying to ascertain whether the boys had consumed anything else besides hotdog and tea,” he said.